U.S., JGSDF Reserve Interpreters Training

ZAMA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

11.18.2021

Video by Daisuke Sato 

U.S. Army Garrison - Japan

Narration:
The U.S. Army Reserve Affairs Office at U.S. Army Japan recently hosted bilateral interpreter training for six Technical Reserve candidates from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s 117th Training Battalion. The training was meant to familiarize the JGSDF members with USARJ and its missions while enhancing their communication skills.


Interview: COL Matt Metzel, Director, Army Reserve Affairs – Japan


Narration:
To kick off the training, each JGSDF participant introduced themselves and talked about when they first became interested in learning English, as well as their past and current working experience.

Then they received a briefing and were able to gain insight from, and ask questions of, Yoshiki Kobayashi, an interpreter assigned to USARJ G5-9’s Language Support division.

They also received a briefing from Master Sgt. John Marquardt, the operations NCO for U.S. Army Pacific, on the mission and duties of active-duty and Reserve linguists in the Army.

Additionally, they took part in a practical exercise in which they translated text from the sequence-of-events section of a ceremony program.


Interview: Moe Shigeta, Technical Reserve Candidate, 117th Training Battalion, JGSDF
I learned that translation and interpretation require a lot of studying and researching in advance of actually doing it, so today’s training was very beneficial for me.


Interview: Yuuki Yoshida, Technical Reserve Candidate, 117th Training Battalion, JGSDF
Today I was able to learn the importance of being flexible when doing translation. I will keep working hard to practice my English and Japanese. I hope that one day, I can be a bridge between the two nations by translating at bilateral exercises and helping to avoid any miscommunication they might face.


Narration:
COL Metzel agreed, saying that translators are vital for both U.S. Army Japan and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force to become more familiar with each other and to get to know their counterparts better.


Interview: COL Matt Metzel, Director, Army Reserve Affairs – Japan


Reporting for U.S. Army Garrison Japan, this is XXXXXXXX.

• Date Taken: 11.18.2021
• Date Posted: 11.21.2021 18:06
• Category: Package
• Video ID: 822317
• VIRIN: 211119-A-MS361-377
• Filename: DOD_108692750
• Length: 00:02:30
• Location: ZAMA, KANAGAWA, JP