Volunteering for the Cultural Support Program

The Col. Arthur "Bull" Simons statue stands on the John F. Kennedy Plaza on Fort Liberty, N.C., across the street from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

Volunteer Instructions

· Volunteers who meet the prerequisites will attend training at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Liberty, N.C.

· Soldiers are required to hand-carry the signed Cultural Support Volunteer Statement to CS Assessment and Selection cadre during in-processing.

· To volunteer: Scan the signed volunteer statement, attach it to an e-mail along with a small paragraph of any additional knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) that you may possess; send the e-mail to usarmy.knox.usarec.list.9sbn-cst-recruiting-team@mail.mil. KSA examples include: foreign-language proficiency (institutional, cultural and/or Army training), medical training (EMT, firefighter, combat lifesaver and/or Army training), advanced education (master's degree, IT certification, licensure, etc.), advanced, tactical military education (airborne, air assault, jumpmaster, pathfinder, military police, CID, civil affairs, range or weapons instructor, etc.)

· Eligible volunteers will be placed on 10-day TDY-and-return orders for CS Assessment and Selection. Volunteers who do not meet the standards will be released from the course and returned to home station.

· Volunteers who successfully complete CS Assessment and Selection will be returned to their unit pending further instructions.

· Select candidates will receive orders to attend the Cultural Support Training Course (approximately six weeks) and follow-on assignment instructions.

· If you are Airborne-qualified and on jump status, it is your responsibility to report for training in a current jump status. Students will not conduct proficiency pay jumps while in training.

· Please e-mail questions to usarmy.knox.usarec.list.9sbn-cst-recruiting-team@mail.mil

ABOUT the CS Program

Cultural support teams are comprised of female Soldiers who serve as enablers supporting Army special-operations combat forces in and around secured objective areas.

Their primary task is to engage the female population in an objective area when such contact may be deemed culturally inappropriate if performed by a male servicemember.

CSTs directly support activities ranging from medical civic-action programs, searches and seizures, humanitarian assistance and civil-military operations.

Cultural support training will primarily focus on basic human behavior, Islamic and Afghan cultures, women and their role in Afghanistan, and tribalism. Training is conducted at Fort Liberty, N.C.

Cultural Support Progam members must make, at a minimum, a one-year commitment to the program.

Next iteration Timeline

Packet submissions will be due Feb. 1, 2014. Cultural Support Assessment and Selection will be held April 1 - 10, 2014. The next training course will be held April 11 - May 16, 2014, with deployments beginning in the Fall of 2014 and returning in the spring of 2015.

points of contact

For more information about the program's timeline, or becoming a member of Cultural Support, please call the Special Operations Recruiting Battalion office at (910) 432-9724 or via cell phone at (253) 961-1312, or e-mail usarmy.knox.usarec.list.9sbn-cst-recruiting-team@mail.mil