Salt Lake City, Utah — U.S. Army Soldiers from the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade–Theater (500th MIB-T) tested their linguistic skills at the 8th Annual Best Linguist Competition (BLING), the Department of Defense’s premier language competition hosted by the 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist) in conjunction with the 37th annual Language Conference (LANGCON), Feb. 5–6, 2026.
Conducted alongside LANGCON, BLING reinforced the conference theme, “Linguists in the Fight Tonight,” highlighting the expanding role of intelligence linguists across today’s multi-domain and virtual operational environments and the critical role language capability plays in Army readiness and modernization.
BLING brings together linguists from across the defense enterprise to compete in scenario-based challenges that mirror real-world operational demands. The 500th MIB-T linguists competed alongside active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard units in events including translation and interpretation, document and media exploitation, voice intercept, operational analysis, and open-source collection, all conducted under dynamic, time-pressured conditions.
The 500th MIB-T delivered strong results during the competition, with four Soldiers placing in the top three for their respective languages. Sgt. Gwendolyn Pitkin earned first place in Spanish, Staff Sgt. Jungun Park placed second in Korean, Sgt. Ostap Juravich finished third in Russian, and Spc. Daniel Mayor secured third place in Korean, highlighting the brigade’s depth of linguistic talent across multiple languages.
“The most challenging part of BLING was adapting to uncertain scenarios and tight time constraints,” said Spc. Mayor, human intelligence collector assigned to 311th Military Intelligence Battalion, 500th MIB-T, competing at the event. “It pushed us to think quickly and showed how our language skills fit into the larger intelligence process, while exposing areas we need to improve to be ready for real-world missions.”
Before the competition began, Col. Shawn Callahan, 500th MIB-T commander, addressed the team, emphasizing the operational relevance of their skills.
“You don’t just speak or understand a language. You think it, you detect the nuances in it, and catch what others miss,” Callahan said. “What that allows us to do is inflict maximum casualties on our adversaries in times of conflict, and also save lives at the same time.”
Callahan emphasized that the pressure competitors experience mirrors real-world conditions.
“What you do here this week is going to mirror what you will do downrange, potentially in crisis and combat,” he said, encouraging Soldiers to pursue precision, accuracy, and speed rather than perfection.
Senior enlisted leaders echoed that message, noting BLING’s alignment with brigade priorities.
“Competing at BLING is an opportunity for the 500th MIB-T to showcase the skills and professionalism of our linguists while reinforcing the importance of language proficiency in intelligence operations,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Billy Ray Allen, 715th Military Intelligence Battalion senior enlisted leader. “It reflects our focus and commitment to readiness, excellence, and developing Soldiers who are prepared to meet the unique challenges of the Indo-Pacific region.”
Allen emphasized that language capability remains central to readiness in the Indo-Pacific, enabling intelligence collection, partner engagement, and effective operations in complex environments.
For competitors, the experience reinforced the urgency behind the conference theme.
“‘Linguists in the fight tonight’ means being ready to use our skills when it matters,” Mayor said. “We have to be prepared to contribute immediately to the mission.”
Language readiness across the brigade is sustained through deliberate training and assessment.
“The brigade’s Command Language Program (CLP) is a cornerstone of our capability,” said Daniel Wong, 500th MIB-T language program manager, noting the program’s role in sustaining highly trained intelligence linguists across multiple disciplines and global languages. Wong added that internal competitions, such as the brigade’s Mini-BLING, help prepare Soldiers for BLING by translating academic proficiency into operational performance.
Callahan reinforced the strategic value of linguists to the Army. “Language is not just your skill; it’s your weapons system,” he said.
The 500th MIB-T’s participation at BLING reinforces the Brigade’s commitment to excellence in language and intelligence disciplines and highlights the vital role linguists play in Army readiness and national defense. The 500thMIB-T has been recognized as the “Best Command Language Program in the Army” for the last two years, and its linguists support U.S. Army Pacific missions across the Indo-Pacific each day.