Some embassies to proctor DLPT for service members

FORT KNOX, KY, UNITED STATES

06.11.2015

Story by Daniela Vestal 

U.S. Army Human Resources Command

FORT KNOX, Ky. - Army Continuing Education Services is now facilitating the proctoring of the Defense Language Proficiency Test for Foreign Area Officers at American Embassies across the globe.

FAOs are required to take the DLPT yearly to demonstrate their continued proficiency.

For Soldiers working in remote embassies, finding a site to recertify at can be a challenge. These Soldiers are able to obtain up to two, one-year waivers from their command but, after three years without taking a DLPT, the test scores fall off the Soldier’s officer record brief, said Lt. Col. Kevin Bosch, FAO branch chief at U.S. Army Human Resources Command.

Not having current scores on their ORB may lead to negative effects on their future.

“It is important to FAOs to maintain foreign language proficiency as we deal with foreign partners,” Bosch said. “Maintaining foreign language proficiency is vital for the execution of our mission. Therefore, out-of-date language scores are a discriminator during the assignment slating process when compared to other officers who are maintaining their proficiency.”

Ron Ortiz works as an education services specialist for The Adjutant General Directorate, ACES. Ortiz said this new option for Soldiers to certify will not only save the Army money, but ease some of the burden Soldiers face when the time for recertification has arrived.

“A lot of them in the past have had to get access to temporary-duty funds, and I have even heard of some paying out of pocket for the test,” Ortiz said. “Some of them have even had to schedule their leave back to the states, get with an Army Education Center, and then work out their own time to come in and test.”

Creating this additional option for Soldiers was not difficult or costly and was merely a matter of coordination and time, said Ortiz. FAOs cannot serve as testing control officers to other FAOs. So the biggest hurdle was finding embassies able spare a person to certify as a testing control officer through online training. After that, was making sure the site had enough bandwidth to use the testing software.

So far, six embassies have already conducted successful examinations, said Ortiz.

“It’s still in its infancy,” he said. “We’ve just started out. I think as the word gets out, more embassies will jump on board.”

Currently, embassies in New Delhi, India; Beirut, Lebanon; Yerevan, Armenia; Lima, Peru; Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Cameroon, Republic in Central Africa are able to proctor the DLPT for Soldiers needing to recertify in a foreign language, said Ortiz.

• Date Taken: 06.11.2015
• Date Posted: 06.15.2015 15:42
• Story ID: 166693
• Location: FORT KNOX, KY, US