In the current international environment, the armed forces do not operate in a vacuum but are surrounded by and often closely connected to various civilian actors, including civilian authorities at different levels, interest groups, international and non-governmental organisations, private sector, and even citizens. This is the case not only in the context of peacekeeping missions and stabilisation and reconstruction operations, but also disaster response, international exercises, and everyday functioning. A special case in many states are the territorial defence forces which rely on volunteer soldiers who simultaneously hold civilian jobs. In this regard, the ability to smoothly cooperate with civilian partners constitutes a necessary part of the military function but also presents challenges which often stem from different organisational cultures, communication patterns, and expectations of both civilian and military counterparts. Indeed, for the most part, military training and education has already incorporated the aspect of cultural awareness into the curricula, however often the focus lies on different national cultures and less so on the cultural differences between civilian and military organisations. Military education and training, which fosters the understanding of the role expectations held by the civilian environment towards the military, could increase the synergy of actions and translate into fewer obstacles in reaching military objectives. The findings presented in this paper are informed by research on the role of soldiers engaged in civil-military cooperation (CIMIC), primarily in NATO context.