Countries have instituted policies to make their armed forces more inclusive, and soldiers now undergo cultural awareness training before seeing active duty. Policy makers and military organizations agree that culture is important. But what does "culture" mean in practice, and how is it important? Culture and the Soldier answers these questions by examining how culture both shapes the military and can be wielded by it, to good or ill effect. Through case studies from Europe and North America, this volume offers provocative insights into how culture can be deployed to improve armed forces at home and in military engagements abroad.