Quote:
Originally Posted by MtnGoat
SF NCOs must understand that language capability is essential in order to support ANA to follow the key counterinsurgency injunction to live with the population, and requirements will grow a relationship those ANA and locals. Not falling back on the interpreters ODA find to support their operations. More SF guys with local language ability makes, but such guys that have been enrolled in Command Language Programs for Dari and Pashto. Must also require time to develop their ability to communicate in either of them on substantive matters, basic Combat terms would be great for all SF NCOs to know. Yes we all want more money, but the value you’re getting to know just how to say the basics in an language goes hundred miles when you say it and not your interpreters.
I also think the SF Interpreters that have come to the U.S. via a SF sponsor and want to go back to Interpret should be slotted to go back to USSF teams and not to Conventional Force
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I completely agree. 10 years into this and we, both US Mil and US Gov, still are relying on 'terps and contractors. I simply do NOT understand this; especially on the SOT-A side. I cannot speak to the Mil side (I've yet to make a combat deployment) but I my civilian experience from Iraq was quite different than AF. We had quite a supply of Arabic lings with Iraqi dialect yet in AF, we are hurting for qualified Dari, Pashto, and even Uzbek speakers.
My experience with the USG Pashto program is sofa king frustrating:
teaching Afghani Pashto but testing in Paki Pashto
"allowing" sub 3/3 Pashto lings to work but not paying them lang pay
language resources, intermediate/advanced courses are non-existent
low numbers of personnel resources do not allow "down time" for needed refresher training
Basically the SAME issues that you guys are experiencing but with a different skill set.
I'm frustrated with working for an organization where "good enough is good enough". Lead, follow, or get the hell outta my way (yes, my civilian evaluation does reflect my perceived lack of tact). It's that important to many of us low-level GS employees but apparently not to career USG managers. Not one manager in my entire civilian COC has completed a tour in IQ or AF, yet they think they know how we should do business and how to interact with US Mil. I, no kidding, had one guy ask me "Why do you keep meeting with the SF guys over here?" I guess he's waterlogged from spending too much time in the swimming pool in Kabul.