The 14th Human Resources Sustainment Command, 1st Sustainment Command (Theater) Soldiers attended a Cultural Awareness and Classified Information brief Jan. 6, at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar.

Soldiers and Department of Defense (DoD) Civilians deployed to Camp As Sayliyah and locations throughout the U.S. Central Command area of operations are guests in a host country. Soldiers and DoD Civilians are required to attend mandatory training to expose them to local customs and courtesies, and remain vigilant when safeguarding information that could compromise national security.

The objective of the Cultural Awareness brief engages Soldiers to convey an understanding of the Do’s and Don’ts while guests in a foreign country. This class will provide the tools necessary to operate in the local communities, while respecting the host countries culture as ambassadors of the U.S. Army.

“Even though we are here on a deployment, we need to remember that we are guests in their home,” said Sgt. Britney Wilder, operations sergeant, 14th HRSC, and native of Fort Walton Beach, Florida. “We want to respect them by embodying the seven Army Values in everything we do.”

Knowing how to act is only part of knowing how to conduct oneself in a deployed environment. This knowledge must be coupled with Operational Security in the Army’s effort to remain vigilant in the deployed environment.

The classified information Brief is important to all personnel in a deployed environment.

“This brief educates us on proper intelligence techniques, tactics and procedures,” Spc. Jameshia Murphy, operations clerk, 14th HRSC, 1st TSC, and native of Portsmouth, Virginia. “This information will clarify the information that we put inside slides and presentations is properly designated classified or unclassified.

This instruction fortifies 1st TSC operational security practices systems that are already in place.”

The 14 HRSC is currently serving on a nine-month-deployment cycle with Soldiers in Kuwait and Qatar.

“Our mission is to provide support to not only the Army but Joint Forces across the 20 countries in the U.S. Central Command area of operations,” said Col. Angela Bowie, 14th HRSC director, and native of Chicago, Illinois. “The 14th HRSC is responsible for supporting Army, Joint and Multinational Forces.”