Status of Forces Agreements

PROMPT:

Nelson Mandela once wrote, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” Chances are that, at one time or another, you will be faced with communicating effectively with someone who has a completely different worldview. In those situations, how can we break down barriers and create a successful exchange of ideas? In this discussion, reflect on the importance of leaders finding common ground through effective communication. Use best practices and systems theory principles to support your ideas. In your responses to your classmates, evaluate their analyses and state whether you agree or disagree with the analyses and why.

RESPONSE

I have spent a lot of time overseas, and often times trying to participate in efforts to defend a particular culture that does not understand that that is what you are trying to do. And, not to get political, but let us just be informed of the larger fact that President Obama left Iraq in 2015, was that there were disagreements about the Status of Forces Agreement with that particular country’s government. Whatever you think, a SOFA as such agreements are named, help protect our soldiers from foreign courts that may be biased against our presence in that particular country.

I a bit conflicted with what exactly I should share. Should I discuss the Yangju highway incident, “also known as the Yangju training accident or Highway 56 Accidental situation,” according to a Wikipedia article on the topic (Yangju highway incident, 2016). This was a situation where an unfortunate accident involving a M60A1 Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge (also known as an AVLB) struck and killed two fourteen-year-old Korean girls approximately 12 miles north of Seoul, a public information situation that I was involved with in 2002, that in many ways discredited, and spurned disgust, towards an already dwindling reputation of the US military on the Korean Peninsula. While this event was in all respects an accident, it was perceived by most Koreans as a situation where those responsible were to be jailed for a significant amount of time. I suppose their perception was somewhere along the lines of an “involuntary manslaughter charge,” (Involuntary Manslaughter Penalties and Sentencing, 2016). That would mean a term in prison for at least a year. Various debates and conflicting arguments on either side, skirmished over the governmental jurisdiction of the accident. The two operators of the vehicle were eventually tried in a military court where they were found innocent of a charge similar to what we define as involuntary manslaughter charge.

I have more instances that I could fill up this discussion board with, but I will leave it at that. I do so, because it pinpoints an area where people don’t seem to understand a particular perspective. For example, “Obama was the founder of ISIS.” This was a statement from a particular candidate that was apparently making a metaphoric reference to Obama’s withdrawal from Iraq. Would you have stayed in Iraq without a proper SOFA. Would you have sacrificed US military personnel for the sake of a nation that didn’t want us there to begin with. Of course the government crumbled, but considering this simple example that I have illustrated where we were able to save the lives of two young men from irresponsible prosecution; a SOFA is very important – so important, that I am willing to guess that a lot of those involved in this discussion have no idea what I am talking about.

Involuntary Manslaughter Penalties and Sentencing (2016). criminal.findlaw.com . retrieved August 24, 2016 from http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/involuntary-manslaughter-penalties-and-sentencing.html

Yangju highway incident (2016) . Wikipedia .retrieved August 24, 2006 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangju_highway_incident