Summer 2014

Language Enabled Airman Program participants assist around globe by Jodi L. Jordan Air Force Culture and Language Center Outreach Team

A specially-selected group of U.S. Air Force Airmen are working around the globe, helping accomplish critical missions by using their foreign lan- guage skills. These Airmen aren’t linguists, though. They’re maintainers, medical specialists, contract adminis- trators – pretty much any job you can find in the Service. In addition to their primary job skills, they also have the ability to communicate in other languages. They are participants the Air Force’s Lan- guage Enabled Airman Program. Photograph by Ms. Jodi L. Jordan LEAP, operated by the Air Force Culture and Language Center, is a ca- Photograph by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane reer-long language and culture learn- From right. Capt. Mohamed Diallo, a Language Enabled Airman Program par- ing program. LEAP takes Airmen ticipant from Air Force District of Washington, translates closing remarks from who have language skills, and through Senegal Air Chief Brig. Gen. Kane, while receiving a microphone assist from a a combination of online training and member of the Senegal Air Force during Africa Partnership Flight Senegal in real-world immersion events, sustains June. Diallo and Senior Master Sgt. Odette Toppin provided language interpre- and enhances those language skills tation assistance during the week long event, which strengthened partnerships throughout the Airmen’s careers. between the United States and air forces in Africa. The language immersions are called Language Intensive Training Events, ties have answered the call, providing Bilateral Senior Enlisted Leaders’ or LITES, and they take place at vital assistance in a wide range of jobs Conference hotwash, among other language schools, or in a country and places. duties. where a LEAP participant’s language Staff Sgt. Jason Sugimoto, a LEAP “Staff Sgt. Sugimoto’s language is spoken. The most advanced LEAP participant from the 51st Force Sup- skills, cultural knowledge and most of participants, however, are available port Squadron at Osan Air Base, Ko- all professionalism proved to be tre- to assist military and governmental rea, recently supported 5th Air Force mendous assets to both headquarters organizations when they need inter- in Japan, where he was hand-picked despite only being here a few short preter or translator help. And since the to provide interpreter assistance to weeks,” said Col. Randy Kaufman, program’s inception in 2009, about 130 the 5th AF Command Chief Master the 5th AF director of operations and Airmen with advanced language abili- Sergeant during the U.S.-Japan Joint/ See LEAP, Page 5 -1- Colleagues, enlisted force, and they are always “sold-out” I’ve been the AFCLC’s acting direc- within days of their opening. tor for nearly two months now. This time In addition to the education and training has given me a new-found appreciation we provide to people across the Air Force, for the work each one of you do to make we also support Air University with a wide sure our Air Force has the cross-culturally range of culture-based courses at Air Com- competent, language-enabled Airmen it mand and Staff College and Air War Col- needs to accomplish the global mission. lege here at Maxwell Air Force Base. Teach- The sheer volume of work you complete, ing at AU is one of our most important core along with your excellence in completing missions, and it is an honor and a privilege to it, makes it clear that the AFCLC is an be a part of educating the future senior lead- organization that “fights above its weight.” ers of our Service. We have many things to celebrate this August. Our The last two months have been a great education for Language Enabled Airman Program is currently hold- me, too. I have never worked with a more dedicated or ing its first combined officer and enlisted application professional group of people. As my time as Acting Di- period. This will culminate in our selecting 400 of the rector grows short, I want to give my sincere thanks all very best applicants to become LEAP participants, my colleagues here at AFCLC, as well as to our Lan- bringing our total participant count to nearly 2,000 Air- guage, Region and Culture colleagues around the world. men. Each of these Airmen brings significant language I’m proud to be on your team. abilities to our Service, and you can read more about how they are being utilized in the story on Page 1. Sincerely, We are also ramping up to begin our fall Community College of the Air Force-credit culture courses. These Lt Col Julie Solberg free, online courses develop cross-cultural abilities in our AFCLC Acting Director

Application for online fill up quickly. Learn more at http:// LEAP accepting culture.af.mil under the “Courses” CCAF-credit courses menu. applications, board begins Sept. 16 meets mid-September AFCLC professor The Air Force Culture and Language The Language Enabled Airman Pro- Center begins accepting applications publishes article gram fall 2014 application period is for the fall 2014 “Introduction to Cul- July 15-Aug. 22. LEAP is designed to ture” course Sept. 16. ITC is an online, Dr. Lauren Mackenzie, the Air Force sustain, enhance and utilize the exist- self-paced undergraduate course de- Culture and Language Center’s associ- ing language skills of Airmen. Those signed for enlisted Airmen to improve ate professor of cross-cultural commu- intending to submit applications must their cross-cultural competence. nication, recently published an article register their intent to apply by Aug.8. This course fulfills three resident in the Institute for the Study of Cul- Active duty enlisted, officer and of- hours of either social science or program ture and Language’s Journal of Culture, ficer candidate students in their senior elective credit required for Community Language and International Security. years may apply online during this College of the Air Force degrees. Only The article, titled “Strategic Enablers: application period. Please review the enlisted active duty, Air Reservists or How Intercultural Communication complete eligibility requirements and Air National Guardsmen eligible to Skills Advance Micro-Level Interna- application instructions on the AF- pursue a degree in the CCAF program tional Security,” argues that the knowl- CLC public website prior to registering may take the course. edge and skills at the heart of the field your intent to apply. The selection board ITC is one of two online college- of intercultural communication are a for LEAP will convene at Maxwell Air credit courses offered by the AFCLC. natural platform for advancing interna- Force Base, Ala., in mid-September to The next course to be offered is Cross- tional security. review and select applicants. Cultural Communication. Registration The full article can be read on the Application instructions and eligibil- for CCC begins Oct. 14. Interested ap- JCLIS website at http://iscl.norwich. ity requirements are available at plicants should apply early, as courses edu/online-journal/. http://culture.af.mil/leap/index.aspx.

The views expressed in this newsletter are of the authors and not of the U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense, or any other government agency. -2- Language-learning ‘Mythbusters’ by 2nd Lt. Abror Samatov Have you ever observed a child learning to speak? Ini- Language Enabled Airman Program tially, a child starts to repeat what parents say without un- participant derstanding. Then, children demonstrate things around the house, which they have learned as their “new vocabulary”. “Are you going to tear up our books?” Svetlana Ser- Children don’t care about grammar, spelling or articulation geevna, my secondary school teacher, asked me loudly in of sounds. Someone always corrects them, and they still Russian. I was completely lost. It sounded like one of those never lose their motivation for learning. I’m still corrected guttural warrior cries that Genghizkhan soldiers probably on all of my languages to this day. made to intimidate the rivals before battle. I was clueless of Thus, I’d advise anybody who has that passion to be meaning of the question, but I yelled proudly and confi- immersed in a whole different world. Learn like a child – dently, “Da!” demonstrate, visualize, use the new words in context and That was my introduction to a foreign language, in this learn with movements. When the new words are combined case, Russian. Fast forward 20 years. Now fluent in five with physical actions, muscle memory is created, connect- languages, I still remember how alien those words sounded. ing the mind and body. These are far superior to mundane Not only have I picked up languages, but cultures and repeating. ideologies as well. There are a lot of methods for learning a language. Mod- Language is a way to communicate, a means to establish ern grammatical method is aimed at learning the language a connection with a total stranger. Language helps us to ex- as a system. It’s directed at all four language skills: speaking, press our emotions, to achieve our goals, to pray and praise, listening, reading and writing. In my opinion, too much to curse and criticize – it’s the center of our lives. But what attention is paid to text construing, script narratives and if you can do all the above in multiple languages? essays. Why try to make a person a philologist, instead of Acquiring a foreign language is done through hard work, just teaching them to speak the language? A person needs eagerness and persistence. Contrary to popular belief, there practical skills, rather than a secondary specialty. is no mythical “language gene” required to speak another On the contrary, one of the most practical approaches is language. Anybody can do it with the right motivation. the immersion method. According to this method, you can As a matter of fact, it is instinctual. People tend to believe learn a foreign language by becoming (at least for the pe- individuals who speak multiple languages are somehow riod of study) a completely different person. This allows one smarter. More knowledgeable, yes! Smarter, no! to create the illusion that they are in a completely different Your capacity to learn is not based on education or the world; the world of the target language. number of languages you speak. Research has proven that For this method to work, a person should be surrounded English speaking school-age children read better in Eng- by like-minded people who are learning the same language. lish when taught a foreign language just one hour a week, Heinrich Schliemann, successful businessman and famous when compared to children who have no foreign language archaeologist, discoverer of Troy, fluent in at least 15 lan- training. Learning an additional language has positive side guages, wrote all his correspondence and kept a diary in the effects in other areas of thought processing. language of the country in which he was at that moment. I Furthermore, knowing a foreign language changes the also employed the same system when I was learning Turk- way one perceives the world around them. My attitude and ish; I even temporarily “Turkisized” my name from “Abror” demeanor change automatically depending on the language to Turkish “Ebrar” to fully immerse myself. I’m using. For example, a taboo in Turkish may not be a Another suggestion that numerous linguists advise is taboo in Russian. Not only is the speech different, but how learning through language families. Knowing the ways I must behave with native speakers differs based on the par- around the language families is like having a treasure map ticular language. As Vivian Cooks, Professor at Newcastle of the language. For instance, acquiring one or all of Latin- University, puts it, “Our cultural attitudes may be changed Germanic languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, by the language we are acquiring.” German) is going to be easier for English native speaker Human beings obtain and improve all skills during their than getting into whole different realm of Sino-Tibetan, lifetime. If a child is not spoken to during childhood, they Slavic or Turkic lingo groups. cannot articulate any words, except some indistinctive The bottom line is that if you have a desire and a passion, sounds. They are not born with a language, so their first is it doesn’t matter what language family it belongs to or how foreign. In essence, this means you have already learned a hard it is, I’d say, “Keep calm and carry on!” foreign language. -3- AFCLC elective course results in award-winning AFCLC publishes guide paper for ACSC student on South Korea by AFCLC Outreach Team Culture field guides give essential knowledge Air Command and Staff College about people, places to U.S. forces student, Maj. Lauren N. DiDomenico, recently won the Foreign Area Officers by Jodi L. Jordan the project officers for obtaining the Association Award, an ACSC -spon- AFCLC Outreach Team guide, the guide is a great asset for sored research award. Her paper, en- U.S. military and government per- titled, “Land Disputes Unearth Shaky The essential elements of a place and sonnel in the country. Legal Foundation: Will Liberia’s Land its people – that’s what U.S. forces learn “These guides provide our per- Reform Provide Stability?” originat- when they read the Air Force Culture sonnel with the specific informa- ed with research she initiated in the and Language Center’s field guides, tion they’ll need to be successful,” ACSC elective “Tribe and Tradition pocket cultural tools for deploying Chang said. “There are many re- in the Modern Context” taught by Air military members and other govern- sources online and in the communi- Force Culture and Language Center ment personnel. Available online and ty, but the culture guides are tailored Assistant Professor of Anthropology in hard copy, the AFCLC offers guides to the needs of our U.S. forces – that Dr. Angelle Khachadoorian, an expert on 28 countries, including its most makes them an invaluable resource.” on tribal and traditional cultures. recent publication, the “U.S. Pacific Maj. Trevor Cook, a Regional DiDomenico chose to continue with Forces Culture Guide: South Korea.” Affairs Strategist at PACAF Head- her research on Liberian land ten- The South Korea guide is the second quarters, and one of the project offi- ure disputes for her second semester AFCLC guide to focus on a country in cers for the guide, said that the need at ACSC by undertaking an ACSC the Pacific theater of operations. to understand a country’s culture is Extended Research Project under AFCLC’s social science and cultural paramount, and that this guide will Khachadoorian’s guidance. experts developed the South Korea be a valuable addition to the re- DiDomenico’s research provides a guide with collaboration from active- sources currently available. unique scholarly perspective that melds duty and retired military members. “As this guide is implemented a deep understanding of the ramifica- These experts employed stringent re- among military and government tions of conflicting legal systems, with search methods to ensure the guides professionals, it will become a valu- a knowledge of the meanings and sig- provide accurate and relevant informa- able tool and reference to enhance nificance of tribal cultural values, said tion, said AFCLC officials. all interactions and communica- Khaachadoorian. This approach is un- The South Korea guide is the latest tion,” Cook said. “Greater under- usual for a research product from a pro- in an on-going effort by the AFCLC standing of each individual’s way of fessional military education institution. to provide U.S. forces with the tools to thinking will help build the bridge DiDomenico’s work, Khachadoorian work effectively in locations around the between nations for stronger alli- said, is particularly important because globe. The center initially developed ances and partnerships that are so it “critically analyzes the significance guides for Iraq and Afghanistan, which critical for regional security coop- of tribal cultural values and legal sys- were lauded by Air Force and other eration.” tems, and the ways these clash with na- Department of Defense officials, said The AFCLC’s guides are avail- tional laws and political systems to cre- Ms. Mary Newbern, AFCLC’s Ex- able at culture.af.mil. The South ate regionally-destabilizing conflicts.” peditionary Skills Training Programs Korea guide is available only online, DiDomenico notes in her paper that manager. The success led to a request but hard copies will be available by American strategists and military plan- from U.S. Africa Command for field mid-September. Requests for any ners typically don’t recognize the sig- guides on other countries, and has con- AFCLC guides should be sent to nificance of land tenure issues in sub- tinued with the work requested by Pa- [email protected]. Saharan Africa, and the cultural and cific Air Forces. The AFCLC publishes guides political impacts of global competition According to Lt. Col. Jacqueline for resources, yet these issues directly Chang, the Director of Air Force Pro- on 28 countries. Download effect “economic development, stability grams in the US Embassy’s Joint US guides at culture.af.mil un- of the government, and ethnic and class Military AffairsGroup at Yongsan der the “Resources” tab. tensions.” Army Garrison in Korea, and one of -4- LEAP, Continued from Page 1 plans. “I’m a huge supporter of LEAP, so I was extremely pleased to see the program work in such a mutually beneficial way.” In addition to the value he provided to the different organizations, Sugi- moto cited a great personal benefit from the trip. “Japan is where I grew up, and I Left: Master Sgt. Kelvin Diaz stands have been away a long time,” Sugi- with Gen. Carlos Antonio Rodiguez moto said. “I was very excited to go Munguia, the chief of staff of the there for work. The highlight of the Mexico Air Force. Above: Maj. Duc Ho trip was experiencing what the U.S. stands with Ms. Lien Vu, a local staffer/ Air Force does in Japan and learning translator at the U.S. Embassy Defense about the relationship between the Attache Office in Hanoi, Vietnam. Diaz Japan Air Self Defense Force and the and Ho completed temporary duty as- U.S. Air Force, how it is built to meet signments in 2014 as part of the Lan- common goals. This work gave me a Courtesy photographs guage Enabled Airman Program. tremendous experience and wide vari- ety of networks that I probably would at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, said. “This LITE allowed me to both have never gained. I was very lucky to Texas, had his work cut out for him improve my language skills and to experience such a wonderful job.” during this high-visibility assignment. assist with various mission sets; all the Another recent LEAP success story “My duties were to coordinate ev- while learning and establishing critical came from work accomplished by erything from hotel rooms to trans- relationships for future success.” program participants who worked with portation to bilateral meetings for nine Having participants complete their 12th Air Force in Chile. Two LEAP U.S. distinguished guests, including required LEAP training, while provid- participants were asked to provide in- the 12th Air Force commander, the ing crucial assistance to government terpreter help at Chile’s International U.S. Southern Command commander, and military organizations, is effective, Air and Space Fair. Both participants the Undersecretary of Defense for In- efficient and a prudent use of resourc- were commended on their efforts by ternational Affairs, and many others,” es, said Lt. Col. Julie Solberg, acting Lt. Gen. Tod D. Wolters, the 12th Air Diaz said. “I’ve worked with embassies director of the AFCLC and chief of Force commander. before, but this was different. I learned the AFCLC’s Language Division. “At In letters to 1st Lt. Eric Prince and how much work goes into making an LEAP, we are chartered with building Master Sgt. Kelvin Diaz, Wolters said, event of that magnitude a success.” a ‘bench’ of language-enabled Air- “Your exceptional efforts provided In addition to serving Department men for the Air Force. The program the entire U.S. team, to include three of Defense needs, several LEAP par- is a valuable investment in our most 3-star flag officers and five additional ticipants have assisted the Department important resource – our Airmen,” general officers, opportunities for of State at U.S. embassies in Europe, Solberg said. “Combining their train- bilateral discussions with dozens of Asia and South America. ing with opportunities to provide real senior military leaders from 30 foreign Maj. Duc Ho, the executive officer value to our country is an honor for nations.” The general also expressed his for the 6th Air Mobility Wing, and the participants and the program.” gratitude to the Airmen for coordi- a fluent Vietnamese speaker, recently nating his meetings with key military returned from a LITE to the U.S. leaders from Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Embassy in Hanoi. While there, Ho For more information Chile and 11 other nations, saying worked with the Office of Defense on LEAP, or to request “these exchanges were productive and Cooperation as an intern, interacting valuable in further strengthening our with key decision makers and repre- language-related support relationships with these partner na- senting the embassy on several proj- from LEAP participants, tions.” ects, while also attending Vietnamese e-mail the AFCLC Lan- Diaz, who is the maintenance classes. “I joined LEAP to leverage guage Division at afclc. training superintendent of the 318th my language and operational experi- Maintenance Training Squadron at the ences in order to assist the Air Force [email protected]. Inter-American Air Forces Academy in partnership building missions,” Ho -5- (From right.) Senior Master Sgt. Odette Top- pin, a Language En- abled Airman Program participant, and a Sen- egalese youth listen to an impromtu guitar performance by a man- ager from L’Empires de Enfants, a Senegalese orphanage. Toppin and another LEAP participant recently assisted U.S. forces during Senegal Partnership Flight 2014. In addition to providing language interpretation at the event, Toppin ac- companied members of the U.S. Air Forces Eu- rope/Air Forces Africa band as a French-speak- ing cultural advisor dur- ing this community visit. Photograph by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane

AFCLC VISION: The Air Force Culture and Language Center, as the acknowledged experts, will lead the U.S. Air Force in building a cross-culturally competent Total Force to meet the demands of the Service’s dynamic global mission. AFCLC MISSION: The Air Force Culture and Language Center creates and executes language, region and cultural learning programs for Total Force Airmen, and provides the Service with the subject matter ex- pertise required to institutionalize these efforts. The Air Force Culture and Language Center was founded at Air CONTACT US University in April 2006, embracing the Air Force Chief of Staff’s 600 Chennault Circle Bldg 1405 intention to improve Airmen’s cross-cultural competence. Maxwell AFB, AL 36112 In April 2007, the Air Force further demonstrated its commit- Phone: 334-953-7729 ment to culture learning by selecting cross-cultural competence as the centerpiece of Air University’s re-accreditation efforts. In Fax: 334-953-1614 December 2007, the Center was made responsible for culture E-mail: [email protected] and language training, as well as education, across the entire Air Force. Air University’s Spaatz Center for Officer Education hosts Follow us on Twitter @AFCLC or Facebook at www. the AFCLC. facebook.com/airforcecultureandlanguagecenter

Public Website: http://culture.af.mil For Common Access Card users on the .gov or .mil domains, language, region and culture training is available at https://wwwmil.maxwell.af.mil/afclc.

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