DoD Announces Increase in Foreign Language Pay

BMT (RIP) · 05-11-2006, 15:48

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2006 – The Defense Department announced yesterday an increase in foreign language proficiency pay for qualified military personnel, effective June 1.
The maximum monthly pay for active-duty servicemembers who are proficient in another language will be increased from $300 to $1,000. For National Guard and reserve members, a $6,000 per-year bonus will be offered.

This increase comes under the fiscal 2005 National Defense Authorization Act and will be focused on languages that are strategically important to DoD, such as Middle Eastern languages and Chinese Mandarin, said Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

The goal of this increase is not necessarily to boost recruiting and retention, but to identify already qualified servicemembers whose skills are untapped, Krenke said.

"This will encourage them to self-identify so we can get a better handle on what we have," she said.

The increase is also meant to motivate servicemembers to study languages, so the military can develop a strong corps of language professionals, Krenke said.

"It's another way that we have to encourage people to pursue this skill as part of a military career," she said.

According to Pentagon figures, about 247,000 servicemembers have some language proficiency, but only about 20,000 have had their skill certified and receive proficiency pay. About 7,249 servicemembers are listed as proficient in Arabic

BMT

QRQ 30 · 05-11-2006, 15:52

I would have paid to go!!

NousDefionsDoc · 05-11-2006, 15:56

Good. Some poeple put a lot of work into it.

Monsoon65 · 05-11-2006, 16:04

Sounds like a great idea. The AF is now making it mandatory for Senior NCOs to take either Chinese, Arabic, French or Spanish. They don't have to be fluent, but they have to have some sort of knowledge.

**Pete** · 05-11-2006, 16:04

Yeah, the Army said I could speak Arabic but you could have fooled those two Arab guards that stopped me in the middle of the desert at O'Dark thirty one dark night with no moon.

After my expansive explaination of who I was in Arabic I though I would have to pick them up off the ground they were laughing so hard. After a short chat I was allowed to pass.

Monsoon65 · 05-11-2006, 17:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete

Yeah, the Army said I could speak Arabic but you could have fooled those two Arab guards that stopped me in the middle of the desert at O'Dark thirty one dark night with no moon.

After my expansive explaination of who I was in Arabic I though I would have to pick them up off the ground they were laughing so hard. After a short chat I was allowed to pass.

All the Arabic (Farsi) I know is "Excuse me, Sir, could you repeat that again?" Oh, and I can count to five. My German is a lot better than that!

QRQ 30 · 05-11-2006, 17:49

I had a similar experience to Pete but took a different tack. At about 0200 I was on my way back to Gulick from P.C. About half way across the isthmus I was stopped by a drunken squad of Guardia. I went into my 'No lo comprendo" mode and opened my wallet which had a minimum of green for such occasions. They emptied my wallet and I was on my way.

I was lucky in that I went to Monterey for German enroute to the 10th; and D.C. for Spanish enroute to the 8th . I don't recall any bonus. I tested out as R3-S3 in German and Latino and R2-S3 in Czech. If I were givin it I would have been grateful, but $$$ was never my motive. I always enjoyed languages. I took 4 years of Latin and 2 of French in H.S.

**Airbornelawyer** · 05-11-2006, 18:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMT

This increase ... will be focused on languages that are strategically important to DoD, such as Middle Eastern languages and Chinese Mandarin, said Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

Considering how perishable and difficult to maintain foreign language proficiency is, isn't it good to know how prescient the DoD is to know which languages are and will be strategically important now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now, etc.

**Jack Moroney (RIP)** · 05-11-2006, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete

Yeah, the Army said I could speak Arabic but you could have fooled those two Arab guards that stopped me in the middle of the desert at O'Dark thirty one dark night with no moon.

After my expansive explaination of who I was in Arabic I though I would have to pick them up off the ground they were laughing so hard. After a short chat I was allowed to pass.

A bunch of us were part of a pilot team and had to take a crash course in Turkish. Come to find out that the Turks with whom we were working spoke better English than we did, but to attempt to establish some rapport, as we left the first meeting somewhere on the Anatolian Plateau I tried my best to say goodbye in Turkish which is "alahsmaladžk ". Unfortunately my pronunciation was really bad and it came out " I lost my lil dick". They cracked up and answered , "Damn, Captain-does it hurt!" Actually that round did more to break the ice and get things going than if I had nailed it

Monsoon65 · 05-11-2006, 19:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Moroney

A bunch of us were part of a pilot team and had to take a crash course in Turkish. Come to find out that the Turks with whom we were working spoke better English than we did, but to attempt to establish some rapport, as we left the first meeting somewhere on the Anatolian Plateau I tried my best to say goodbye in Turkish which is "alahsmaladžk ". Unfortunately my pronunciation was really bad and it came out " I lost my lil dick". They cracked up and answered , "Damn, Captain-does it hurt!" Actually that round did more to break the ice and get things going than if I had nailed it

Now that's funny!!