Posted on Dec 16, 2020
What are the best languages for duty assignments as a 35M?
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I finished meps yesterday and took my DLAB. According to my scores I qualify for Spanish, French, Indonesian, Russian, Farsi, and Tagalog. Wondering if anyone has recommendations on these as far as which languages will bring certain types of duty assignments and which may be harder or easier. I have some experience with Spanish and German but not fluent at all. I was also told that I can volunteer for Airborne school while at DLI, so this would maybe affect my duty stations and assignments as well when combined with my chosen language.
Any advice helps, thank you.
Any advice helps, thank you.
Posted in these groups: Human Intelligence Collector Course (35M)
Defense Language Institute (DLI)
Airborne Student
Defense Language Institute (DLI) Airborne Student
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 4
The thing to understand about languages is that they are broken down by categories. The higher categories are more difficult languages. You will usually be assigned somewhere that regionally aligns with that area. Asian languages are more likely to be stationed on the West Coast, European languages more likely to be stationed in the east, South American languages more likely to be stationed in the south. But, language is only a small portion where you get assigned and you could be a Farsi speaker assigned in Korea or the West Coast. https://www.dliflc.edu/about/languages-at-dliflc/
Spanish speakers are a dime a dozen in the Army, and French will target you more to Africa than it will Europe. Russian is quite difficult (trust me)
All good advice. DLPT (at least Spanish which my experience) is about understanding / comprenhension. Don’t expect translation. Besides that, if you want Airborne, then make sure it’s in your contract.
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I think I may stick with Spanish. It is well appreciated and spoken in the US. Although it has been said to be a dime a dozen, that's because it is so abundant, and to me being able to speak to an abundant amount of people is a good thing. Maybe Farsi would send me to the middle east but I'm not sure I would want to set myself up for that unless they really needed me.
MAJ Javier Rivera
Mitchell Silcox - I don’t know, I got paid $400 a month for over 10 years for it. Not a bad deal, eh?
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It is one of the easier languages, and, quite frankly, not needed.
Plus, Language pay was (and I think still is) based on difficulty category. You will make more money for obtaining (and sustaining) a higher category language. Of you list, go for Farsi. High need, high(er) difficulty, if you DO get assigned somewhere for your language, you will be going to the middle east or central asia (which is where things are hot right now, but who knows about 5 or ten years from now)