Posted on Jun 8, 2021
Army nixes soldier roles for native Arabic, Pashto and Dari speakers
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The Army is cutting its interpreter-translator platoons and eliminating the associated job specialty for native or heritage Arabic, Dari and Pashto speakers.
The move is part of the military’s overall shift from counterinsurgency missions to multi-domain operations in support of large-scale combat, Army spokeswoman Maj. Jackie Wren wrote in an email response.
The 09L program was established in 2003 to provide Arabic, Dari and Pashto native and heritage speakers to support Army operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, Wren said.
The Army plans to retain soldiers holding the Military Occupational Specialty coded 09L through reclassification if qualified, she added.
The move is part of the military’s overall shift from counterinsurgency missions to multi-domain operations in support of large-scale combat, Army spokeswoman Maj. Jackie Wren wrote in an email response.
The 09L program was established in 2003 to provide Arabic, Dari and Pashto native and heritage speakers to support Army operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, Wren said.
The Army plans to retain soldiers holding the Military Occupational Specialty coded 09L through reclassification if qualified, she added.
Army nixes soldier roles for native Arabic, Pashto and Dari speakers
Posted from armytimes.comPosted in these groups: 
Foreign Language
Foreign Language
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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Good!
Language should be a skill, not an entire job.
I have worked with both good and bad 09Ls; local national, DAC, and Contracted interpreters; and Intel folks with a language. Out of all of those, I trusted the translations of my 09Ls least (and some less than others). Even less than the Intel folks who were only a 1/1 on their DLPTs. At least they told me when they weren't sure of something.
Language should be a skill, not an entire job.
I have worked with both good and bad 09Ls; local national, DAC, and Contracted interpreters; and Intel folks with a language. Out of all of those, I trusted the translations of my 09Ls least (and some less than others). Even less than the Intel folks who were only a 1/1 on their DLPTs. At least they told me when they weren't sure of something.
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