Military Review English Edition July-August 2014 | Page 12

travel and study opportunities to keep language skills
current: foreign language skills are perishable. If the
Army expects to have officers—and not just contractors—who can support the new engagement warfighting
function with needed language skills, it should rethink
how it manages foreign language programs.
Administering the Defense Language Proficiency
Test to cadets is convenient for the Army because college
and university ROTC departments have access to the
examinations. The test is already funded. Test control
officers are available, and Army Regulation 11-6, Army
Foreign Language Program (2009), authorizes testing.
Beyond the languages needed to engage and connect with host-nation partners, the Army has realized
its leaders need an understanding of cultures, histories, and numerous local or regional characteristics.
Encouraging the study of history is one way to provide
this type of knowledge, but the history requirement for
ROTC cadets consists of a single military history class.
Programs such as ROTC’s “Cultural Understanding
and Language Proficiency Program” help students gain
regional expertise. Other study abroad programs are
available. The Army could benefit by developing more
officer candidates through in-depth study of certain
cultures and languages and promptly assigning new
graduates to the regions studied.
The U.S. Army Cadet Command has begun offering
security cooperation training as part of an increased
emphasis on language, regional expertise, and cultures.
Each year, as many as 1,400 cadets receive the opportunity to participate in three-week training events
with host-nation militaries. Teams of 10 cadets provide
rudimentary English language instruction, participate

in medical training exercises, and embed with unit
training. The cadets learn to appreciate the challenges
of cultural differences and language barriers. Many
look back on this training as career and life changing.
An infantry platoon leader, for instance, with
a basic ability to speak French or Arabic—having
earned college credit for a regional studies course or
study abroad program perhaps in Morocco—would
be invaluable to a battalion commander conducting a
security force assistance mission in North Africa. The
Army could ensure it has hundreds more new officers
entering with these types of skills every year.

The End State
Science, technology, engineering, mathematics,
language, and cultural expertise will be core skills for
Army leaders in the near future. The Army must
prepare its leaders to apply strategic landpower starting
when they are cadets and continuing right into their
first assignments as lieutenants. A focus on STEM is
imperative for the Army to gain technical expertise.
Cyber-based mission command systems, web-based
training venues, satellite communications, and even
basic office automation are the technological instruments for an expeditionary army. Proficiency in at least
one additional language will be essential—even a
speaking proficiency level of 1+ (able to maintain
predictable face-to-face conversations and satisfy
limited social demands) can help l XY\