A third character, Ambassador Gilbert MacWhite, is a patriotic diplomat who lives up to many of the SOF imperatives, but fails at one. His intent is admirable and the Ambassador carries out the necessary actions to combat the communist threat. One of the SOF imperatives it adheres to is ensuring the legitimacy and credibility of special operations. ADRP 3-05 defines it as “legitimacy is the most crucial factor in developing and maintaining domestic and international support. The United States cannot support its assistance to a foreign power without this legitimacy.” The publication also explains that decisions and actions that comply with U.S. and international laws promote legitimacy and credibility. This concept is linked to several factors. This is a structure that guides a SOF soldier while dealing with foreign counterparts or other interagency actors. The characters in The Ugly American either live up to imperatives or contradict them through their actions. Father Finian is a model of how a USSF soldier should behave towards his counterparts; embodies many of the SOF imperatives as shown in his vignette. This occurs when Father Finian anticipates and controls the psychological effects by recruiting his Burmese counterparts and launching the propaganda campaign. Characters like George Swift show no part of the SOF imperatives. It's similar to Joe Bing and Louis Sears; careerist bureaucrats more interested in cocktail parties than in improving U.S. foreign relations. George Swift makes a critical error by not recognizing the political implications of his actions and sabotages Hillandale's opportunity to influence the Sarkhanese king. The third type of character, a character like Ambassador Gilbert MacWhite, has the best intentions of the United States and foreign relations, but makes a mistake in violation of one of SOF's imperatives. It attempts to ensure credibility and legitimacy by seeking to raise standards for U.S. foreign service workers. MacWhite did not fully understand his operating environment as shown in the exchange of Li Pang and Donald. The Ugly American offers an alternative to prominent American attitudes of the time and suggests a framework for U.S. foreign relations. It also represents a warning. The novel warns against arrogance and mediocrity; explains that communism (or other threats) will only triumph through America