Special Operations soldiers are well suited to this because of frequent overseas deployments and their cultural awareness training. This is important because they often establish close relationships with their local counterparts and students.
During the first week of the two-week course, the curriculum is the same for all. It focuses on the basic premises of mission planning, U.S. policy, and the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) that were developed by a United Nations working group in 1997 and are subject to periodic review. All students are exposed to the rigors of demining with an early introduction to mine detectors and basic mine clearing procedures. During this phase, all students don protective equipment to find and uncover a mine within a one-meter training lane while simultaneously practicing safe and proper clearance techniques and procedures.