Overcoming the Language Barrier

Photo By Cpl. Austin Gillam | U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Cassidy Kauranen, a Cryptologic Linguist with 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group hikes on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, January 28, 2022. The Electronic Warfare Platoon conducted an 8-mile hike to maintain readiness within the unit. The 1st Radio Battalion establishes, operates, and maintains the necessary intelligence information architecture to enable and provide signals intelligence, electronic warfare, and computer network exploitation capabilities. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Austin Gillam)  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

02.04.2022

Story by Cpl. Austin Gillam 

I MEF Information Group

CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA - - In January 2019, the 37th commandant of the United States Marine Corps, General Robert B. Neller established information as the seventh war fighting function. This provides the Marine Corps with the ability to integrate with the modern era by utilizing friendly information while combatting misinformation. I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group was one of the solutions to fighting the information war.
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Cassidy Kauranen, a cryptologic linguist with 1st Radio Battalion, fills a much needed role within I MIG by showing up and working diligently to utilize her knowledge of the Levantine Arabic language.
“The mission of a cryptologic linguist is to exploit enemy communications with a foreign language specialty,” said Kauranen. “I am a Levantine Arabic linguist, the Levantine dialect is spoken in countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan.”
The job requires a Marine to attend the Joint Defense Language Institute which offers 15 different languages.
“The assets a cryptologic linguist can provide to a unit varies from someone collecting signals intelligence, intercepting enemy communications, or analyzing enemy intelligence,” said Kauranen. “This added capability to 1st Radio Battalion plays a vital role in fighting the information war.”
I MIG is comprised of several major supporting elements which provide unique mission capabilities to the overall mission. The 1st Radio Battalion provides signals intelligence, electronic warfare, and computer network exploitation capabilities. It has many Marine Occupational Specialties, a cryptologic linguist is just one of the important roles that Marines like Cpl. Kauranen play in the information war. It is their job to monitor, transcribe, and translate intercepted target communications. This mission is accomplished diligently by Cpl. Kauranen and her peers which support I MIG.
The mission of the MIG is to coordinate, integrate and employ capabilities for information environment operations in order to ensure the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Commander’s ability to facilitate friendly forces maneuver and deny the enemy freedom of action in the information environment.
I MIG provides communications, intelligence, and supporting arms liaison in support of MAGTF operations. These operations rely on the capabilities of cryptologic linguist Marines that collect, translate, and analyze intelligence which comes in many different languages. The occupation proves to be a crucial asset in being effective in the ever-changing information environment and will continue to be an in-demand occupation.

• Date Taken: 02.04.2022
• Date Posted: 02.04.2022 18:14
• Story ID: 414036
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US