Soldiers in the European theater have a unique opportunity to learn foreign languages based on their location. Have you ever wondered how the military trains their service members in those languages?

Photo By Spc. Zachary Stahlberg | Dr. Mohammed Slassi, the Defense Lanuage Institute program manager goes over his expectations with new faculty members. Slassi says that foreign language is an essential tool in the success of a mission (U.S. Army photo by PFC Zack Stahlberg)  

BY, GERMANY

08.01.2019

Story by Pfc. Zachary Stahlberg 

7th Army Training Command

Soldiers in the European theater have a unique opportunity to learn foreign languages based on their location. Have you ever wondered how the military trains their service members in those languages? The Defense Language Institute-Foreign Language Center (DLI-FLC) educates service members from all branches on how to speak any language that might be used in the European theater from their classroom located at Vilseck.
Soldiers now have access to a new world of opportunities that provide greater possibilities both within the military, and as a civilian after they retire with the help of 7th Army Training Command and the Combined Arms Training Center.
“This isn’t off the shelf,” said Dr. Mohammed Slassi, the DLI program manager in Europe. “Every course is expertly tailored to provide what the unit needs.”
The DLI-FLC assists 7 ATC by providing access to foreign languages that our Soldiers will need while they are in the European theater.
Knowing foreign languages allows our Soldiers to better understand both enemies and allies, said Dr. Slassi. It’s an efficient tool at the individuals’ disposal.
DLI-FLC is now more prepared than ever to provide service members the knowledge they need to be successful in their mission, with the support of 7 ATC. With a permanent residence at Vilseck, students now have access to private rooms, classrooms, dining facilities, and the library.
“The 7 ATC has been a huge help, giving us a vehicle to drive, logistical support, and man power,” said Ms. Jadranka Kalenjuk, the academic specialist with DLI-FLC. “They are really supportive, and we love having them as our partners.”
The DLI-FLC understands the importance of efficiently training service members, said Ms. Jadranka Kalenjuk. Their ability to provide what the military needs in such a short amount of time is another reason, they are so successful.
“The Defense Language Institute is the Department of Defense’s executive agent for foreign languages,” said Dr. Slassi. “We get Soldiers to a (level 2) in 63 weeks, which would take 10 years in a university.”
7 ATC has been able to further mission success by providing knowledge and understanding of verbal communication between armies of different nations thanks to DLI-FLC,.
“We taught Ukrainian to 207 Soldiers so they could understand the language while they were deployed over there,” said Kalenjuk. “Whatever the need is, we can provide it, because we have the resources.”
It’s not easy to understand what the Army needs before they ask for it, said Kalenjuk.
“In a forward based theater like Europe I have to be in constant touch with the units,” said Dr. Slassi. “I hear something in the news and I know it’s going to impact me tomorrow.”

• Date Taken: 08.01.2019
• Date Posted: 08.01.2019 10:52
• Story ID: 334059
• Location: BY, DE