By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, conducted the Advanced Language Academy (ALA) seminar for senior academic leaders at DLIFLC and sister institutions Aug. 10-21 to stay proficient in the changing contexts of higher-level language learning. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, conducted the Advanced Language Academy (ALA) seminar for senior academic leaders at DLIFLC and sister institutions Aug. 10-21 to stay abreast of the changing contexts of higher-level language learning.

Dr. Betty Lou Leaver, DLIFLC provost, kicked off the two-week seminar.

“We are in a post-method era,” said Leaver. “Emphasis is now on meeting students where they are and ‘transforming’ them into proficient language users through diagnostically oriented teaching and the development of autonomous learning skills.”

Leading experts in the foreign-language learning field presented at the academy as guest speakers.

Consultant Mike Mears spoke about leadership and management at the Advanced Language Academy (ALA) seminar for senior academic leaders conducted Aug. 10-21. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

Consultant Mike Mears spoke about leadership and management. He described how great teachers share the same attributes as great leaders and used Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, who taught at West Point, as an example.

Dr. Dan Davidson, president of the American Council for International Education, the flagship program in language education, and professor at Bryn Mawr College, spoke about “teams that lead students to achieving higher levels” as part of the session on supervising at upper levels.

Upper-level learning in an overseas setting, led by Dr. Davidson and Jelena Teague of the DLIFLC Immersion Language Office, was also a topic of discussion. DLIFLC conducts immersion language training at more than 20 sites outside of the U.S. Students who have gone on immersions say that it improves confidence and motivation in using the language, and these students generally score higher on their final language proficiency test.

DLIFLC recognizes the value that immersions bring to language learning, but also recognizes that it is not possible to send every student overseas. Therefore, the institute developed isolation immersions that take place in a separate facility. These immersions include language and cultural activities that cannot be replicated in the classroom.

Attendees of the Advanced Language Academy (ALA) seminar for senior academic leaders present their final scenario-based projects to others in attendance Aug. 21. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

The ALA held a question-and-answer session between the unit commanders (Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force) and the academic leaders of the institute. The session was an opportunity for the commanders to relay the services’ requirements and needs directly to the academic staff and vice versa. The combined effort between DLIFLC and the Services is to help foster higher-level proficiency.

As the academy drew to a close Aug. 21, attendees presented their final scenario-based projects to others in attendance. The projects’ overall focus was to improve student language outcome at DLIFLC and covered areas such as hiring practices and better ways of incorporating military training without interrupting student academic studies.

Applied Language Learning Vol. 10

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

Lt. Col. Daniel Roesch, U.S. Air Force Special Operations School commandant, addressed a class of Japanese language students at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Sept. 2. (Photo by Natela Cutter, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center welcomed Lt. Col. Daniel Roesch, U.S. Air Force Special Operations School commandant, to the Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 1.

The Special Operations School, located at Hulbert Field, Florida, consists of four divisions, one being a language center, which shares the mission of DLIFLC – to provide culturally based language education.

Roesch visited DLIFLC to learn how the institute operates and possibly learn new ways to better provide foreign language training to meet the Air Force’s language requirements for special operations forces.

“It’s great to see all of this from the top down. As a Japanese student in 2009-2010 I, of course, was at the bottom looking up,” said Roesch.

Lt. Col. Daniel Roesch (left), U.S. Air Force Special Operations School commandant, speaks with Col. Keith Logeman, the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center assistant commandant, Sept. 1 to learn more about how the institute operates. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

During his visit senior DLIFLC leadership briefed Roesch on the institute’s goals to reach higher proficiency levels, distance learning capabilities and online learning materials. He also toured the Directorate of Continuing Education and learned about isolation immersion opportunities.

“We had no Japanese immersions in my time here,” said Roesch, who later spent time in Japan after DLIFLC. “Just having that immersion experience brought my (language test) score up a plus, so I know it’s helpful.”

On Sept. 2, Roesch visited his old stomping grounds, the DLIFLC Japanese department where he spoke to several of his instructors and addressed a class of Japanese language students.

“This is a great opportunity for you, take advantage of it, and maintain your language. When you graduate, you will be at the top of your game, and it will be up to you to make sure that you keep yourself from dipping down,” said Roesch referring to the loss of language skills when not being used.

Lt. Col. Daniel Roesch, U.S. Air Force Special Operations School commandant, visited the Japanese language school Sept. 2 at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center where he studied from 2009-2010. (Photo by Natela Cutter, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

DLIFLC is regarded as one of the finest schools for foreign language instruction in the world. The Institute provides resident instruction in 23 languages to approximately 3,500 military service members, five days a week, seven hours per day, with two to three hours of homework each night. Generally, students spend between 26 and 64 weeks at the Presidio, depending on the difficulty of the language.

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

Lt. Gen. Kevin W. Mangum, the deputy commanding general and chief of staff of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Eustis, Virginia, speaks to Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center students outside of a dining facility at the Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 2. (Photo by Natela Cutter, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center welcomed Lt. Gen. Kevin W. Mangum, the deputy commanding general and chief of staff of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Eustis, Virginia, to the Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 2.

“There is a lack of language proficiency in the Army. Having men and women who better understand the culture, and certainly speak the language, as we engage populations across the world is critical,” said Mangum, during his first time visit to the institute since he was appointed to his new position at TRADOC in 2014.

“Language is the driver to understanding a culture,” Mangum said, as he commended the native-speaking DLIFLC faculty who already provide a level of cultural awareness as they teach language in the classroom.

A career aviator, with overseas deployments to Korea, Honduras, the Persian Gulf, Turkey, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq, Mangum recognizes the crucial role that cultural training and language familiarization play for the warfighter.

Lt. Gen. Kevin W. Mangum, the deputy commanding general and chief of staff of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Eustis, Virginia, attends an information briefing on the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 2. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

“With the outreach programs that DLI has, we could certainly provide better cultural awareness and some basic language skills to the operating force,” said Mangum. “We must make them more culturally aware and provide as much regional expertise as we can.”

Turning from cultural awareness to training more proficient professional linguists, Mangum spoke briefly about the value of overseas immersion training opportunities and the benefit students gain from the experience.

“It’s one thing to sit in a classroom at the Presidio of Monterey and talk about other cultures and languages, but putting it into context and perspective in the native land is priceless,” said Mangum.

DLIFLC has a robust immersion language program that sends students to more than 20 countries outside of the U.S. Returning students say that the experience improves confidence and motivation in using the language, which generally contributes to higher scores on their final language proficiency test.

Lt. Gen. Kevin W. Mangum, the deputy commanding general and chief of staff of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Eustis, Virginia, observes an Arabic language class at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 2. (Photo by Natela Cutter, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

Recognizing that it is not possible to send every student overseas, DLIFLC has a designated Isolation Immersion facility where students spend from one to three days immersed in the language and culture, an experience that cannot be replicated in the classroom.

“I’m happy that we are doing immersions and I know there is an initiative to get more of it,” said Mangum.

Mangum’s visit to DLIFLC lasted only a day, but he was able to observe the full spectrum of training that linguists undergo. He observed language training at the institute’s Middle East School III and interacted with students studying Arabic. He then visited the Directorate of Continuing Education to observe further education of linguists after completing the basic program. Later in the day, Mangum spoke to Command Language Program Managers who are responsible for ensuring that units in the field continue to provide language sustainment opportunities for professional linguists.

Lt. Gen. Kevin W. Mangum, the deputy commanding general and chief of staff of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Eustis, Virginia, speaks at the Command Language Program Managers conference at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 2. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

“It all starts here. DLIFLC plays a great role for the entire joint force in what it provides,” said Mangum. “Obviously this is where we grow our linguists in their language proficiency and then send them out to the rest of the big-wide world. The language experts, the linguists that are trained here, certainly make a difference when they hit the ground in their units.”

“This is a world-class language institute… and a national treasure. It was a pleasure to see it and learn more about it,” said Mangum.

DLIFLC is regarded as one of the finest schools for foreign language instruction in the world. The Institute provides resident instruction in 23 languages to approximately 3,500 military service members, five days a week, seven hours per day, with two to three hours of homework each night. Generally, students spend between 26 and 64 weeks at the Presidio, depending on the difficulty of the language.

By Natela Cutter
DLIFLC Public Affairs

The winner of the Department of Defense Best Command Language Program of the Year for 2015 is the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command’s 500th Military Intelligence Brigade stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. (From left to right) Command Sgt. Maj. Matildo Coppi, the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Cullen, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command’s 500th Military Intelligence Brigade command sergeant major, Frank Everson, Command Language Program Manager for the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, Col. Patrick Wempe, commander of the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, and Col. Phillip Deppert, DLIFLC commandant, pose for a photograph. (Photo by Natela Cutter, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif., – The Commandant of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Col. Phillip Deppert, and Command Sgt. Maj. Matildo Coppi, presented awards Sept. 1 to the winners of the Department of Defense’s best Command Language Program and Command Language Professional of the Year.

“I am honored, and even more humbled to be here today to present these awards. You as individual Language Program Managers, and the organizations you represent really make up a ’team of teams,’ that keep the entire Defense Language Program alive and vital. It could not happen without each and every one of you. I couldn’t be prouder of what you do.” said Deppert.

Members of all four branches of the Services and DoD civilians gathered at DLIFLC’s Weckerling Center, at the Presidio of Monterey, to attend the Advanced Command Language Program Manager Workshop held from Sept. 1-3, during which the awards are traditionally presented.

Each year, more than 150 foreign language program managers attend the course to glean knowledge about the trends in foreign language acquisition and new products offered to military service members to better maintain and improve their foreign language skills.

(From left to right) Fourth place winner Army Sgt. Elizabeth Stegeman, third place winner Marine Sgt. Nielsen Rivera, and first place winner Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Harrison Goforth were selected as the best foreign language program managers of the year. (Photo by Natela Cutter, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

“There is no end to the language pedestal,” said Cheryl Houser, National Security Agency Senior Language Authority and guest speaker at the event. “Just as you get to the top, the bar will rise. And you will be surprised at how you will make it over the top every time.”

The winner of the DoD’s best Command Language Program of the Year was the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command’s 500th Military Intelligence Brigade stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. The award was received by Col. Patrick Wempe, Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Cullen, and the Command Language Program Manager Frank Everson.

Individual Services selected the best foreign language program managers of their individual programs.

This year, first place was taken by the Navy, represented by Petty Officer 1st Class Harrison Goforth, who fluently speaks Modern Standard Arabic, Iraqi Arabic, Levantine Arabic, Egyptian Arabic and Somali.

“This award is really not mine alone, but it belongs to all who work diligently in this program,” said Harrison.

Second place was taken by the Air Force and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Non-Commissioned Officer, Staff Sgt. Nathan Evans, stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany. He received the award for his performance in the DTRA missions and for maintaining their foreign language program. He is fluent in Russian and Modern Standard Arabic.

Second place winner Air Force and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Non-Commissioned Officer Staff Sgt. Nathan Evans holds his trophy for best foreign language program manager of the year. (Photo by Natela Cutter, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

The Marine Corps took third place, with Sgt. Nielsen Rivera, of the USMC 1st Radio Battalion. He fluently speaks Pashto, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, and Spanish.
Fourth place was awarded to the Army and Sgt. Elizabeth Stegeman from the 341st Military Intelligence Battalion, Chicago, Illinois. She received recognition for successfully training and maintaining proficiency in German, Russian, Polish and Ukrainian.

“This is a great workshop and the best place to network with people. We are all in the same foreign language business, but it makes a big difference when you talk directly with people, as opposed to e-mail,” said Irina Pucaric, DLIFLC’s Language Training Detachment site director at Camp Pendleton, California.

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

Lt. Gen. Robert P. Otto (right), U.S. Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, speaks with the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center assistant commandant, Col. Keith L. Logeman (center), Sept. 8 as Command Sgt. Maj. Matildo Coppi looks on. Otto visited DLIFLC for the first time since 2012. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – The U.S. Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Lt. Gen. Robert P. Otto, returned to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Sept. 8 in his first visit since 2012.

Otto was accompanied by Theresa Sanchez, the deputy senior language authority for the U.S. Air Force. They discussed some of the challenges of language training with DLIFLC academic leaders, asking questions about how to recruit and retain the best qualified teachers and ways to increase student proficiency in the future.

Otto and Sanchez observed language training at DLIFLC’s Middle East School III and interacted with students studying Arabic.

“This is the first time I got to jump into a language classroom and see how all of this works. I am very impressed by all you are able to accomplish,” said Otto to the students.

Lt. Gen. Robert P. Otto, U.S. Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, observes Arabic students studying at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center’s Middle East School III Sept. 8. Otto visited DLIFLC for the first time since 2012. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

“I can tell you, we need you,” he continued. “There will be exciting things ahead for you in your careers as linguists.”

Otto also thanked the teachers and the support staff for their efforts.

DLIFLC is regarded as one of the finest schools for foreign language instruction in the world. The institute provides resident instruction in 23 languages to approximately 3,500 military service members, five days a week, seven hours per day, with two to three hours of homework each night. Generally, students spend between 26 and 64 weeks at the Presidio, depending on the difficulty of the language.

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

Retired U.S. Army Col. Dino Pick (left), former commandant of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center and now the deputy city manager for plans and public works for the City of Monterey, visited the Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 10. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – Retired U.S. Army Col. Dino Pick, former commandant of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center and now the deputy city manager for plans and public works for the City of Monterey, visited the Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 10.

Pick, along with three other city officials who had not visited the installation prior, got an up-close look at how the Presidio operates and the language teaching mission that takes place.

The officials received a briefing from DLIFLC Chief of Staff, Steven Collins, and visited the Persian Farsi School where they were given a classroom demonstration by students in Farsi.

“What you do is amazing,” said Pick as he spoke to the students in Farsi which he studied in college. While attending DLIFLC in the mid-1990s, Pick studied Arabic.

The officials then observed Persian Farsi students cooking at the Weckerling Center and even got a taste of Persian food. Aside from teaching the language, instructors also teach culture, history and geography of their native lands.

Col. Paul Fellinger, Presidio of Monterey garrison commander, briefs city officials from the City of Monterey, during their visit to the Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 10. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

Col. Paul Fellinger, Presidio of Monterey garrison commander, briefed the officials on the “Monterey Model,” a model of efficiency for the Department of Defense, saving the government more than $1.5 million over the past five years by partnering with the city for services and public works.

The city officials also toured the nearby Naval Postgraduate School as part of Monterey’s goal of gaining a better understanding of local military installations and their missions.

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

Col. Phillip Deppert, the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center commandant, kicked off Fall 2015 Resiliency Day events Sept. 11, which included physical fitness competitions such as team sports and races, wellness awareness activities, a variety of food vendors, and much more. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center conducted its Fall 2015 Resiliency Day in conjunction with Patriot Day and Suicide Prevention Month Sept. 11 at the Price Fitness Center field, at the Presidio of Monterey, California.

Resiliency Day promotes wellness, safety, team-building, unit morale, and esprit de corps among service members, especially at DLIFLC where the stress of foreign language study can seem overwhelming.

Col. Phillip Deppert, DLIFLC commandant, kicked off the day’s events, which included physical fitness competitions such as team sports and races, wellness awareness activities, a variety of food vendors, and much more.

“We stop and take a knee today to remember to take care of each other,” said Deppert in his suicide awareness remarks. He continued by encouraging the troops to have fun and stay safe. “You all deserve to have this break today.”

The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center held Fall 2015 Resiliency Day events Sept. 11, which included physical fitness competitions such as team sports and races, wellness awareness activities, a variety of food vendors, and much more. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

Before the activities began, Deppert and Command Sgt. Maj. Matildo Coppi, DLIFLC command sergeant major, presented awards on behalf of the West Point Society of the Monterey Peninsula and the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association of Monterey Bay, as well as DLIFLC leadership awards.

The Naval Academy and West Point Society awards are given to any service member who demonstrates leadership, physical fitness, academic performance and volunteer service.

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Conner Brew and Airman 1st Class Christina James received the West Point awards. U.S. Army Sgt. Paul Tamashiro received the Naval Academy award.

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Snow, commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, observes a Korean language class at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 17. During his visit, Snow spoke about recruiting and getting more potential Army applicants interested in becoming linguists. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – Maj. Gen. Jeffery Snow, commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, headquartered at Fort Knox, Kentucky, visited the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 17. He spoke about recruiting and getting more potential Army applicants interested in becoming linguists.

“It’s nice to come here and see the investment we are making in young men and women and the growing appreciation that we really need to cultivate language capability in our Army,” said Snow. “We are absolutely committed to ensuring that quality applicants are coming to the Army,” which includes linguists, he said.

The institute’s assistant provost for academic support, Steve Koppany, briefed the general on DLIFLC’s goals to reach higher proficiency levels, distance learning capabilities and online learning materials to train linguists to meet the professional needs of the Army. The Army offers 150 military occupational specialties and linguists are a priority occupational skill.

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Snow, commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, is greeted by Dr. Marina Cobb (left), dean of the Korean School at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Sept. 17. During his visit, Snow spoke about recruiting and getting more potential Army applicants interested in becoming linguists. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

“As you look at the Army operating concept and the uncertainty, the pace of change and the instability in the world you realize that we’ve got to be able to operate in any culture using any language to be successful,” said Snow.

Snow visited a Korean classroom to see firsthand how new recruits receive language training. Generally, students spend between 26 and 64 weeks at the Presidio, depending on the difficulty of the language.

“Last time I was here I saw Pashto. I saw a Korean class today. In both cases I was impressed for a couple of reasons,” said Snow. “I think the faculty here are extraordinary. It is clear in the way they conduct themselves that they care about their students.”

“I’m also impressed with the technology,” Snow continued. “Students and faculty are leveraging smart technology in ways that I think all of our education programs should.” DLIFLC has interactive white boards installed in more than 700 classrooms and issues MacBook pros and iPads to students.

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Snow, commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, observes a Korean language class at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 17. During his visit, Snow spoke about recruiting and getting more potential Army applicants interested in becoming linguists. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

Turning from language training to education programs, Snow spoke about the new Army University initiative.

“I’m very excited about Army University,” said Snow. “Young men and women want both an education and an experience and I think Army University makes that possible.”

In 2015, the Army established what is known as the Army University, which encompasses all 37 U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command schools, including DLIFLC. The intent is to create single point university structure that will maximize educational opportunities for Soldiers by providing valid academic credit for the education and experience they receive while on active duty.

“Folks coming into the Army are afforded the opportunity to have a job and they can obviously enhance their education,” said Snow. “We are excited about the chance to provide our young recruits with an understanding of how Army University might benefit them.”

Maj. Gen. Jeffery Snow, commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, speaks with Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center assistant provost for academic support, Steve Koppany, at the institute’s Korean School at the Presidio of Monterey, California, Sept. 17. During his visit, Snow spoke about recruiting and getting more potential Army applicants interested in becoming linguists. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

The Army views education as the most reliable strategic investment it can make. Each year the Army estimates that more than 8,000 Soldiers earn degrees from the associate level to doctorates. With Army University, the Army expects more opportunities to emerge for Soldiers to earn degrees.

DLIFLC has been accredited since 2002 by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and has granted more than 11,500 Associate of Art degrees in foreign language.

The Institute provides resident instruction in 23 languages to approximately 3,500 military service members. Upon successful completion of their language program, students receive 45 transferable units and can receive a DLIFLC Associate of Arts degree with an additional 15 units transferred from other accredited academic institutions in subjects not taught at the Presidio.

By Natela Cutter,
DLIFLC Public Affairs

MONTEREY, Calif., – The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, in cooperation with the University of Maryland Center for the Advanced Study of Language, announced Sept. 21 that a new aptitude battery for predicting the ability of an individual to learn a foreign language was released to Military Entrance Processing Stations nation-wide for feasibility testing and scoring calibration.

Dr. Gregory Colflesh, research associate of the Center for Advanced Study of Language, brief’s DLIFLC Research and Analysis staff about the new features of the DLAB2 battery. (Photo by Natela Cutter)

“The new battery is called the Defense Language Aptitude Battery 2, or DLAB2, and will be administered at the recruiting stations in conjunction with the current DLAB for several months in order to collect data that will tell us how effective the new battery is in comparison to the current version,” said Gary Hughes, DLIFLC director of Training Analysis.

“We introduced two new cognitive measures to the battery,” said CASL research associate Susan Campbell. “We wanted to introduce some measures that would better predict the aptitude to learn a foreign language, so we added items that would measure working memory and inductive reasoning. These two cognitive measures were not present in the old battery.”

“Some of the components that were added were pre-existing,” said Scott Jackson, CASL associate research scientist. According to Jackson, CASL team members worked closely with the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) and were able to isolate items from other exams that are administered, in order to pull that data into the DLAB2 battery.

“So, for example, if there is good information derived from the current ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) such as the personality indicator, then we would be able to use that information,” said Campbell. While the ASVAB measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military, the DLAB2 specifically measures foreign language aptitude.

DLIFLC Staff listen intently to the lecture of Dr. Gregory Colflesh, research associate of the Center for Advanced Study of Language, Maryland, with which the Institute partnered to create a new and improved battery that would examine personality traits of perspective students as well as aptitude. (Photo by Natela Cutter)

“But along the way, we have discovered that there are many other indicators that have an effect on the perspective students, and with this new battery, we hope to broaden the pool of qualified service members who come to DLI,” said Marzenna Kroll, DLIFLC researcher of Training Analysis. “There are 24,000 DLABs administered per year at the MEPS and we want to the cream of the crop to come to us,” she said.

The electronic distribution of the DLAB2 to the MEPS occurs through the DMDC, which collects and maintains DoD personnel data that includes information regarding manpower, training, healthcare, retirement funding and other administrative information.

DLIFLC trains some 3,500 professional linguists of all four branches of the service. The Institute teaches 23 languages, but 90 percent of the students learn the most difficult languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. The more difficult to learn languages programs last up to 64 weeks, creating the second longest training pipeline in the military.

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

Names written in Hangul, or the Korean alphabet, are on display in Seoul, Korea, during Hangul Day October 9, 2010. The Korean School at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center celebrated Hangul Day with a writing and video contest. The ninth of October every year in Korea is Hangul Day and is a holiday commemorating the gift of a simplified alphabet from King Sejong the Great to his people in 1446, replacing complicated Chinese characters. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – The ninth of October every year in Korea is Hangul Day, translated as Alphabet Day, and is a holiday commemorating the gift of a simplified alphabet from King Sejong the Great to his people in 1446, replacing complicated Chinese characters.

“Being of foreign origin, Chinese characters are incapable of capturing uniquely Korean meanings. Therefore, many common people have no way to express their thoughts and feelings,” said the king, according to the alphabet’s historical account.

More than 500 years later, the Korean alphabet withstood the test of time and is being taught all around the world, to include the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey, California.

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Samuel Vu reads his Korean poem during the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Korean School’s Hangul Day, or Alphabet Day, awards ceremony Oct. 8. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

To celebrate Hangul Day, the Korean School at the institute held the 13th Annual Korean Alphabet Day Video Contest, and the best three videos were shown at an awards ceremony Oct. 8. The contest themes “Our favorite moments from studying the Korean language” and “Studying the Korean language at DLIFLC” allowed students to showcase their Korean writing ability and cultural awareness in a fun way.

For the video entries, awards were given by Col. Philip Deppert, DLIFLC commandant, Ron Nelson on behalf of the DLIFLC provost, and Marina Cobb, dean of the Korean School.

Awards were also given for participation in the 24th Annual Korean Language Writing Contest for Foreign Nationals hosted by Yonsei University in Seoul, who judged the entries.

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Samuel Vu won first place for a poem he wrote in Korean and read it aloud at the awards ceremony.

“When I look into the black of the night sky, I see only your brightness,” Vu read in Korean reciting his poem.

Students from the Korean School at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center cheer for their classmates during the Hangul Day, or Alphabet Day, awards ceremony Oct. 8. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

“This was unexpected, but it feels great to win,” said Vu afterwards, who is still early in the Korean program and had no prior experience with the language.

Second place poetry winner Airman 1st Class Jaymin Ko comes from a Korean family, but grew up in Colorado. Studying at DLIFLC is also his first real experience with Korean.

“The teachers at DLIFLC do a very good job. Korean is a difficult language, but we also have a lot of fun in class learning,” said Ko.

“Summer passes and turns to autumn. Autumn passes and turns to winter. That star in the sky is always there for me,” Ko recited in Korean.

Chul-soon Choi, education director for the Korean Consulate General in San Francisco, was a special guest at the ceremony and spoke about the spread of the Korean alphabet around the world and commended the students for studying the Korean alphabet. To see the alphabet so widely used by so many people pays homage to the efforts of King Sejong, said Choi.

Students from the Korean School at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center watch a video produced by their classmates during 13th Annual Korean Alphabet Day Video Contest awards ceremony Oct. 8. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

DLIFLC is regarded as one of the finest schools for foreign language instruction in the world. The Institute provides resident instruction in 23 languages to approximately 3,500 military service members, five days a week, seven hours per day, with two to three hours of homework each night. Generally, students spend between 26 and 64 weeks at the Presidio, depending on the difficulty of the language.

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center team poses with the institute’s banner following the 31st Annual Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C., Oct. 11. The institute competed for the first time in 13 years. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center competed in the 31st Annual Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C., Oct. 11 for the first time in 13 years.

The team formed in a short amount of time as tryouts were held two months prior to race day. Capt. Sarah Martin, DLIFLC Headquarters and Headquarters Company commander, volunteered her time to take on most of the management and training responsibilities as the team captain.

“I’m very proud overall of the effort and commitment put in by everyone. A lot of planning went into this and everybody at DLIFLC has supported us,” said Martin.

On race day, two runners came in under an hour. Derek Schnell finished in 56 minutes, 2 seconds and Alexander Branch finished in 59 minutes, 11 seconds.

The team’s top female runner, Hannah McKenzie, finished in 1 hour, 9 minutes, 5 seconds.

Since tryouts, all the runners improved their times, with Schnell cutting his time by the most at six minutes.

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

Maj. Gen. James A. Adkins, a 1976 Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center graduate in Russian, spoke to current Russian students at the institute’s European and Latin American School Oct. 23. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – Maj. Gen. James A. Adkins, a 1976 Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center graduate in Russian, spoke to current Russian students at the institute’s European and Latin American School Oct. 23.

Adkins retired from the Army National Guard as the 28th adjutant general of Maryland and served just four days short of 40 years. Throughout that time he says that his DLIFLC experience has influenced him for most of his career.

“Now, it’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since my class was here and (that I) sat where you are today. In October 1975, we would have been halfway through our Russian program. We experienced the same emotions that you no doubt are experiencing, from excitement to uncertainty, from frustration to fear, and we had a little fun along the way,” said Adkins.

Adkins spoke to an audience of about 200 students about his experience and personal stories from his time as a student. He emphasized the lasting friendships he made with several of his classmates who joined him on the visit, as he shared photographs from when they were students. He quoted his class leader, Staff Sgt. Al Kohler, who said he was born in Pennsylvania but learned to “live” at the school in Monterey.

Maj. Gen. James A. Adkins, a 1976 Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center graduate in Russian, spoke to current Russian students at the institute’s European and Latin American School Oct. 23. He emphasized the lasting friendships he made with several of his classmates who joined him on the visit, as he shared photographs from when they were students. (Photo courtesy of Maj. Gen. James Adkins)

“As you see with our class, friendships and bonds formed here have lasted for decades,” said Adkins.

“Your experience here and DLIFLC will be a part of you for the rest of your life,” said Adkins. “In my case, DLIFLC was always at the core of my preparations for a career that took me from Afghanistan to Iraq, from Kuwait to Kosovo, from Cairo to the Sinai, from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Balkans to Estonia in the Baltics, from stateside assignments to the Far East, and a lot of places in between.”

Adkins began his career as an enlisted Soldier and later became a commissioned officer serving in intelligence, infantry and cavalry assignments. He graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College.

“DLIFLC meant more to me than any other school I attended including the War College. It provided us with an understanding of language and culture that were instrumental to our success as Soldiers and civilians,” said Adkins.

Maj. Gen. James A. Adkins, a 1976 Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center graduate in Russian, spoke to current Russian students at the institute’s European and Latin American School Oct. 23. (Photo courtesy of Maj. Gen. James Adkins)

“You never know when you will get an opportunity to use your language. In my case, there were little opportunities and big ones. From a park bench in San Antonio to the streets of East Berlin to a stranded vehicle in an East Coast blizzard, I had the opportunity to use my Russian. Be ready and use it,” said Adkins.

Adkins also warned students that the “Russian bear is once again stirring.”

“DLIFLC has no doubt seen an ebb and flow of emphasis on certain languages. I imagine today that Russian is on the rise as it was 40 years ago,” said Adkins.

Recently, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley outlined goals for active duty and reserve components stating that with the draw down in the number of troops, he would be increasingly calling on the National Guard to potentially deter growing threats from Russia, China and North Korea.

Maj. Gen. James A. Adkins, a 1976 Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center graduate in Russian, points to a photo of himself as a student. Adkins spoke to current Russian students at the institute’s European and Latin American School Oct. 23. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

As a retired Army National Guard officer, Adkins asserts that the National Guard is already an essential component of the Army, especially with the State Partnership Program, which links a state’s National Guard with the armed forces of a partner country in a cooperative relationship.

“Since 9/11 the National Guard has been effectively deployed and these partnerships have only grown stronger,” said Adkins after his speech to the students.

As a Russian linguist, Adkins knows how important language and cultural understanding is in building a partnership.

“You can’t surge a partnership,” said Adkins as he continued about the program. When the time comes that these partnerships are needed to deter aggression or for any other reason, they are already established, he said.

As adjutant general of the Maryland Army National Guard, Adkins oversaw the state’s partnership with Estonia in the Baltics.

Maj. Gen. James A. Adkins, a 1976 Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center graduate in Russian, spoke to current Russian students at the institute’s European and Latin American School Oct. 23. Adkins spoke to an audience of about 200 students about his experience and personal stories from his time as a student. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

“Russian was valuable to me when I assisted the former Soviet Republic of Estonia in its transition out of what they called their occupation,” said Adkins.

“As you begin to apply your language skills in assignments after DLIFLC, you never know when you will be that service member at a critical time and place who will see something or hear something that saves the lives of fellow Americans or possibly change the course of history,” said Adkins.

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

Zhijian “Kevin” Yang is a Mandarin Chinese teacher at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center’s Asian School I. Yang grew up during China’s Cultural Revolution in the mid 1960’s to the mid 1970’s in Hohhot, the capital city of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – Zhijian “Kevin” Yang has been teaching at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center’s Asian School I since 2007, but his story begins during the days of China’s Cultural Revolution in the mid 1960’s, in Hohhot, the capital city of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

“It was very cold and there were not many trees,” Yang said, with a laugh as he recalled his childhood days in Hohhot. “It was almost desert-like, but we lived in the city so it wasn’t what a lot of people think of Mongolia – herdsmen, cattle, and horses.”

Yang grew up in a bicultural, bilingual family with his father being ethnic Mongolian and his mother a Han Chinese. As such, they were given a choice of which school to attend. The family chose the more beneficial option, which was the Mandarin school, as opposed to the Mongolian school. As a result, Yang speaks only Chinese.

Both of Yang’s parents worked. His mother was a doctor of internal medicine and his father was employed by the government as a public prosecutor.

“In America, people think that we must have had a lot of money with a lawyer dad and doctor mother, but that was not always the case,” said Yang. “It wasn’t a luxurious life but it was a decent life.”

One of the most difficult times for Yang, when he was about 15 to 16 years old, was when his father was placed under house arrest for more than a year at his workplace during the Cultural Revolution that took place from 1966 to 1975. Yang’s father was eventually exonerated and received an apology from the Chinese government in 1976.

Because of this, Yang developed a habit of listening to the radio.

Zhijian “Kevin” Yang is pictured here on the grasslands of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Today, Yang is a Mandarin Chinese teacher at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center’s Asian School I. (Photo courtesy of Zhijian “Kevin” Yang)

“Some stations out of Hong Kong were saying things different from what Chinese stations were saying,” said Yang. “One station I listened to all the way up through university was the Voice of America.”

A few years following the Cultural Revolution, Yang began at Inner Mongolia University as an English major in 1978 where he became even more of a freethinker.

Some of the Voice of America programs taught English. One day he even sent a letter requesting a free textbook, but did not have high hopes of receiving anything.

“About two months later the Chinese Communist Party secretary in my department called me to her office. There were these books on her desk wrapped in brown paper with the corner torn open and Hong Kong stamps on it. I then got the idea why she called me,” said Yang. “I had to confess, telling her what had happened. I just wanted to learn English. That’s all and it was free.”

Yang received a warning but was allowed to keep the books. This experience emboldened Yang and he started ordering anything he could from the radio. He ordered a Bible because he thought it would be a great English-study resource.

“This time I got in big trouble because according to the Chinese the Bible is considered religious propaganda,” said Yang. “The Bible was confiscated at the post office and all that arrived was a letter to my department head.”

For this, Yang received an on-record disciplinary letter from the party.

Yang served as an interpreter at a travel agency without pay during his summers while at the university.

“One day there was this wonderful fellow about my size and he gave me a pair of blue jeans. There were no blue jeans in China at that time, but I so wanted to have a pair. He gave a pair to me and they fit,” said Yang.

The next day, Yang wore the blue jeans to class.

“You should have seen the expression on the face of the party secretary,” said Yang with a laugh. “Chinese didn’t wear clothes that tight at that time. She ordered me to go home and change.”

“I guess you could say I liked to push the envelope,” said Yang.

In 1985, Zhijian “Kevin” Yang began studying in the U.S. at Portland State University. About 20 years later he would come to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center as a Mandarin Chinese teacher. (Photo courtesy of Zhijian “Kevin” Yang)

Despite his rebelliousness in the eyes of the Chinese Communist Party, Yang would be allowed to go to the U.S. to study. Several of his teachers were either from the U.S. or Canada and he met many English speakers when he worked as an interpreter. There were also many exchange students on campus who he befriended.

“My determination formed when I was in college studying English,” said Yang. “I learned so much about the U.S. without having been there.”

A professor from Portland State University arranged a one-year scholarship for Yang to study speech communication in Oregon in 1985.

“It was not easy to get out of China at that time. I first tried in 1982 and everything was ready to go, but because my tuition to Inner Mongolia University was all paid for by the government I had to follow their arrangements.”

Yang’s application to travel to the U.S. was denied and he was sent to an agricultural university to teach for three years. After that three-year period he still wanted to travel to the U.S. and had to persuade the agricultural university to let him go.

The government was also suspicious because Yang was not a government-arranged exchange scholar. He was someone who arranged his study completely on his own. They even took away his passport in order to keep him in China.

“I told them that I studied English. I will never have this opportunity again, but they said that my English was already good enough, that I didn’t need more training,” said Yang.

Yang eventually won his case through determination and the fulfilling of his obligation to the agricultural university. He enrolled at Portland State University and began a new life in the U.S. in 1985. When his scholarship ran out he took jobs in translation and interpretation to continue to support his studies.

Zhijian “Kevin” Yang interacts with his Mandarin Chinese students at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center’s Asian School I. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

“By doing this I realized that translation is a good business here. I was so enthusiastic about my future,” said Yang, who decided to teach and do translation fulltime after graduation rather than return to China.

“One day my former classmate from Inner Mongolia University called me and said she got a job at the Defense Language Institute. She said they still needed a teacher and that I should apply too,” said Yang. “She said that it’s so cool to teach these young American service members Chinese.”

After a few days he submitted his application and was hired within a few months.

“This is the best job I’ve ever had. After all the jobs I’ve had, I like teaching Chinese the best. My students tell me I’m a natural teacher,” said Yang. “The rewarding part of this job is I see these bright young people come here with zero knowledge of the language and through our teamwork 64 weeks later we are able to see them flourish in Chinese. I enjoy being part of this.”

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

The National Japanese American Historical Society paid tribute to World War II Nisei veterans Nov. 14 at the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center on Crissy Field in San Francisco. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

SAN FRANCISCO – Marking the second anniversary of the opening of the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center on Crissy Field in San Francisco, veterans, their families and guests gathered together to mark Veterans Day on Nov. 14.

“Without you, the Nisei veterans, there would be no Defense Language Institute,” said guest speaker, Col. Phillip Deppert, commandant of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California. “I am here to thank you personally, from the bottom of my heart, for the things you have done in the service of this great nation.”

DLIFLC in fact traces its history to the eve of World War II when the Army decided to establish a secret language school with soldiers of Japanese descent, called Nisei. Numbering around 60, the second generation Japanese-Americans undertook language studies just five weeks before Pearl Harbor, in an abandoned aircraft hangar at the Presidio of San Francisco on Nov. 1, 1941.

Col. Phillip Deppert, commandant of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California, addresses the World War II Nisei veterans Nov. 14 at the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center on Crissy Field in San Francisco. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

“These brave Soldiers not only fought like lions and used their language skills, but they had a strategic impact – interpreting for generals, working the peace negotiations, or as court translators during the post-war trials,” said Deppert.

Stressing the importance of the Nisei role during the humble beginnings of the institute that is today located at the Presidio of Monterey, Deppert spoke about their legacy in the creation of what is the largest foreign language school in the United States.

“We have come a long way from our modest beginnings here in 1941…Today, we teach 23 resident languages with the capacity to instruct another 65 through our Washington, D.C., office. All said and told, we have graduated more than 200,000 linguists since 1941,” said Deppert.

Though the Presidio of San Francisco today is closed, the hangar where it all began almost 75 years ago still remains as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area just below the Golden Gate Bridge. To honor the Nisei’s service and sacrifice, the National Japanese American Historical Society established the MISL Center as place where younger generations could see Nisei accomplishments and bravery during the World War II.

A Nisei veteran looks at an exhibit at the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center on Crissy Field in San Francisco Nov. 14. The National Japanese American Historical Society paid tribute to World War II Nisei veterans during a ceremony at the learning center. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

Other speakers included the Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, Jun Yumada, and personal reflections from Nisei veterans.

The success of the first few Nisei linguists convinced the War Department to establish Japanese-American combat units, such as the 442nd Regimental Combat Team that fought in Italy, France and Germany.

According to Maj. Gen. Charles Willoughby, Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s Chief of Staff for Military Intelligence, “The Nisei shortened the Pacific War by two years and saved possibly a million American lives.”

Lawson Sakai, a veteran of the 442nd, said that he is often asked why Nisei were so willing to serve while their families were being interred under an executive order during World War II.

“If we had not served, people would look upon the Nisei as an idle group. What we showed this country is that we too are loyal American citizens,” said Sakai.

On October 5, 2010, the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service received the Congressional Gold Medal, officially recognizing the service and sacrifices of the Nisei in World War II. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

Another Nisei unit, the U.S. Army Reserve’s 100th Infantry Battalion from Hawaii, also saw combat in North Africa and Europe.

On October 5, 2010, the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service received the Congressional Gold Medal, officially recognizing the service and sacrifices of the Nisei in World War II.

By Natela Cutter
DLIFLC Public Affairs

DLIFLC SHARP Student Council members patch ceremony, Dec. 4. (Photo by Amber Whittington, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – Twelve new volunteers were inducted into the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Student Council program Friday, receiving a specially designed patch that indicates these young service members are a part of a program to help their peers in dealing with sexual harassment and assault issues.

“You are our first line of defense and I am impressed to have so many volunteers who want to help their peers…I am relying on you to be the conduit between the student population and the (SHARP) victim advocates,” said Lt. Col. Derrick Long.

DLIFLC SHARP Student Council members patch ceremony, Dec. 4. (Photo by Amber Whittington, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

The SHARP Student Council program was first implemented in 2014 at the Presidio of Monterey. The concept behind the program is to provide service members with the necessary skills to guide those in need toward counselors who can offer professional help.

“These Soldiers will be working jointly with the other forces to guide the service members toward the proper care they need to receive,” in case of need, explained Sgt. 1st Class Demond McGrew who leads the group.

DLIFLC SHARP Student Council members patch ceremony, Dec. 4. (Photo by Amber Whittington, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

DLIFLC SHARP Student Council members patch ceremony, Dec. 4. (Photo by Amber Whittington, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

DLIFLC SHARP Student Council members patch ceremony, Dec. 4. (Photo by Amber Whittington, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs

Deputy Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Bryan Fenton (left), 25th Infantry Division, speaks with Army Maj. Gen. Mulyono (right), commander Indonesia Strategic Reserve Command, while Cpl. Michael Calistro (back) interprets during bilateral exercise Garuda Shield September 2014. Personnel from U.S. Army and Indonesian Armed Forces conduct a series of training events focused on peace support operations. (Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Brooks Fletcher, 16th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

MONTEREY, Calif. – Cpl. Michael Calistro, a 2011 Indonesian language graduate of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, knows first-hand that maintaining proficiency after graduation is very important.

Calistro now serves at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, with the 205th Military Intelligence Battalion, 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, and is working closely with his command to improve training for its linguists.

“The 205th MI recognizes that we have to have the right people for the job and is willing to invest the time into training, to include immersion opportunities. In the end, everything pays off for everybody,” said Calistro, whose eventual training would be followed by a deployment.

The brigade supports its linguists by finding, evaluating and utilizing more opportunities for them to improve their language proficiency, in addition to its policy that linguists train for eight hours per week to maintain their language.

Calistro specifically sought more immersion focused opportunities and, in 2014, identified the U.S. Department of State’s 60-day immersive Critical Language Scholarship as a program that could be employed by the battalion’s Indonesian linguists.

Outside of DLIFLC, language immersion opportunities for military linguists are a rarity. In a time of tightening budgets, these experiences are often too expensive for individual units to utilize, but the CLS is entirely funded by the U.S. Department of State to encourage the mastering of 14 less-commonly taught languages, which includes Indonesian.

For Calistro, who met all of the qualifications, this was not a hard sale to his already-supportive command, and the 205th MI successfully sent Calistro to the Universitas Negeri Malang (the State University of Malang) in Indonesia in 2014.

Cpl. Michael Calistro, a 2011 Indonesian language graduate of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, poses for a photo in Indonesia in 2014. Calistro went to Indonesia under the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship program. (Photo courtesy of Cpl. Michael Calistro, 205th Military Intelligence Battalion)

“While studying, I received excellent language instruction from a dedicated teaching staff and from two program-assigned Indonesian university students who worked as private tutors,” said Calistro. “I lived with an Indonesian host family, which permitted me to absorb Indonesian language and culture during my off hours.”

A week after completing the CLS program and returning to Hawaii, Calistro found himself returning to Indonesia to East Java for Garuda Shield, a bilateral military exercise hosted by the Indonesian Armed Forces.

Calistro primarily served as the interpreter for a force-protection team, but also provided linguistic services to other U.S. Army elements in the field, including a Judge Advocate General, forward surgical team, air cavalry unit, and Explosives and Ordinance Disposal.

“These duties required a diverse vocabulary and the ability to work around seldom-used words. My experience with the Critical Language Scholarship greatly diversified my vocabulary and gave me the confidence to work around words I did not know,” said Calistro.

Throughout the exercise, Calistro credits linguists for making a huge difference in local opinion of the U.S. military.

Cpl. Michael Calistro, a 2011 Indonesian language graduate of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, poses for a photo in Indonesia in 2014. Calistro went to Indonesia under the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship program. (Photo courtesy of Cpl. Michael Calistro, 205th Military Intelligence Battalion)

“Indonesia is a very diverse country. It’s a very large country with many diverse cultures, but the one thing that ties Indonesia together is the language,” said Calistro. “The people are warm and welcoming and even more so when they hear us speak their language.”

Furthermore, Calistro says that having language skills is important in enhancing relationships. When not participating in the exercise, Soldiers took part in many local activities during their short Indonesia tour.

Training is part of the culture of the U.S. Army and the most critical training is conducted at the unit level by unit leaders. Following Garuda Shield, the 205th MI returned to Hawaii where Calistro and other linguists continued to help the unit improve its training.

The 205th MI received support from the CLS’s Alumni Development Fund, matched with funding from the 500th MI Brigade Command Language Program Manager fund, for further language study. The unit used this to create a 13-week-long language training program for its Indonesian linguists.

“Having learned the value of developing a diverse, mission-oriented vocabulary, I assisted on creating a curriculum to prepare the unit’s linguists for translation work in mission settings,” said Calistro, about the 13-week-long program.

When not deployed, the Department of the Army often tasks the 205th MI with translating documents and other materials in support of U.S. Army initiatives involving Indonesia, part of the reason for the unit’s push to maintain high standards in Indonesian language proficiency.

“As the U.S. continues to rebalance towards the Asia-Pacific, military linguists must look to improve their language abilities in preparation to meet new challenges,” said Calistro.

Photo taken in Indonesia in 2014. Cpl. Michael Calistro, a 2011 Indonesian language graduate of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, went to Indonesia under the U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship program. (Photo courtesy of Cpl. Michael Calistro, 205th Military Intelligence Battalion)

Building on a foundation of language and cultural knowledge is a concept taught at DLIFLC and the institute has found that immersions aid in language improvement and also allow military linguists to travel the world to receive a more in depth experience in the language.

“Both experiences, the critical language scholarship and subsequent deployment to Garuda Shield, were a fantastic opportunity to test what I learned at DLIFLC. I got to see what I was good at, where the holes were and what needed to be improved,” said Calistro.

The U.S. Department of State CLS features programs at host nation universities which are taught by locals with strong academic backgrounds. Upon graduation, the scholarship alumni receive U.S. academic credit. The scholarship is a high-visibility program with a lengthy and competitive application process. Applicants must be dedicated linguists, working towards a college degree, and possess letters of recommendation from several sources.

Exercise Garuda Shield is a continuation of ongoing efforts by U.S. Army Pacific to engage with the Indonesian Armed Forces on peace support training capacity and stability operations.