The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center awarded its 15,000th Associate of Arts degree on Oct. 25, 2018, marking an impressive milestone for the Institute’s regionally accredited degree program.

The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center awarded its 15,000th Associate of Arts degree on Oct. 25, 2018, marking an impressive milestone for the Institute’s regionally accredited degree program.

“Having this degree enhances our student’s academic and professional success as a service member” explained Pam Savko, dean of Academic Affairs.

“Awarding the 15,000th AA degree in a foreign language proves that our students have an extremely strong work ethic. Graduating from DLIFLC is considered one of the toughest schools in the military,” said DLIFLC Provost, Dr. Robert Savukinas.

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges first granted academic credit for DLIFLC courses in 1979. In March 2002, DLIFLC was awarded Associate of Arts Degree granting authority.

DLIFLC students attending graduation.

Many students come to DLIFLC with some general education credits, prior college, Advance Placement testing, or even Bachelor and Master degrees. The DLIFLC AA Degree Office and Registrar help students transfer or validate 18 General Education credits necessary to obtain AA degree in foreign language from DLILFC. Credits must come from regionally accredited colleges/universities and authorized testing sources.

DLIFLC’s regional accreditation was reaffirmed for another seven years this past spring by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Language Survival Kits include text, audio recordings, and translations for up to 3,000 mission-related phrases. Modules include: Air Crew, Basic Phrases, Civil Affairs, Cordon/Search, Force Protection, Medical, Military Police, Naval Commands, Public Affairs, and Weapons.

Countries In Perspective begin with a Country Profile containing basic facts, followed by more detailed discussion of Geography, History, Economy, Society and Security.

Language Survival Kits include text, audio recordings, and translations for up to 3,000 mission-related phrases. Modules include: Air Crew, Basic Phrases, Civil Affairs, Cordon/Search, Force Protection, Medical, Military Police, Naval Commands, Public Affairs, and Weapons.

Language Survival Kits include text, audio recordings, and translations for up to 3,000 mission-related phrases. Modules include: Air Crew, Basic Phrases, Civil Affairs, Cordon/Search, Force Protection, Medical, Military Police, Naval Commands, Public Affairs, and Weapons.

Countries In Perspective begin with a Country Profile containing basic facts, followed by more detailed discussion of Geography, History, Economy, Society and Security.

By Natela Cutter

Most students who attend the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center don’t expect to meet a Korean Zen master during their studies, let alone be able to ask existential questions.

The Venerable Pomnyun Sunim speaks from the podium at the Korean language school at DLIFLC Sept. 25. (Photo by Natela Cutter)

“Being able to speak to someone who is so distinguished is honestly the coolest thing I have ever done,” said Airman 1^st Class Michael Rikli, who was able to participate in a question and answer session in Korean during the visit of the Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, a Buddhist monk and Zen master, Sept. 25.

The Venerable Pomnyun Sunim is renowned for his humanitarian efforts, especially in North Korea, the promotion of human rights, world peace, the eradication of famine, disease and much more. He has several million followers on social media, frequently attributed to his candid rhetoric and simple style in giving advice and replying to existential questions.

“I told him that I was afraid of failing the test and wanted to know how to deal with those thoughts of failure,” explained Rikli.  He told me ‘Imagine taking a driving test and flunking it. Would you really want to be driving? No? Well it is the same thing. You take the test again,” he said as the auditorium with hundreds of Korean language students rocked with laughter.

Often traveling to the United States to give lectures attended by academicians and government analysts, the lecture opportunity for Korean Language students and their instructors was an extraordinary encounter.

Airman 1st Class Michael Rikli poses questions to the Venerable Pomnyun Sunim, a renowned Korean Buddhist monk and Zen master. Students in the last semester of their 64 week Korean language course were invited to listen to the lecture and ask questions. (Photo by Natela Cutter)

“It is indisputable is that he is one of the most prominent thought leaders in South Korea.  As far as I can tell, his popularity stems from his longtime activism and outreach efforts on a variety of issues, ranging from inter-Korean relations to more mundane topics, relatable to a wider segment of the Korean population, “ said Korean language instructor Seung-Jae Oh.

“I found it super interesting that there was such diversity in the topics, from daily life issues to economic sanctions and North Korea,” said Spc. Raven Clipper. “And when our teachers spoke with him, they used very formal speech, but he replied as if he were talking to a friend.”

“In short, I think it’s really great that we were able to have him come to the schoolhouse and interact with the students and faculty. It was definitely one of the more memorable moments of my experience here at DLI,” said Oh.

By Natela Cutter

Two members of the Brazilian Army Language Center visited the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Oct. 22-26, to gain knowledge about the inner workings of one of the largest foreign language schools in the nation.

(L->R) Lt. Col. Kevin Bosch, director of the DLIFLC Foreign Area Officer Program, shakes the hand of Lt. Col. Sergio Avelar Tinoco, commander of the Brazilian Army Language Center, welcoming him and Capt. Carlos Henrique Souza Vilas Boas, head of the English Department. (Photo by Natela Cutter)

Lt. Col. Sergio Avelar Tinoco, commander of the school, and Capt. Carlos Henrique Souza Vilas Boas, head of the English Department, spent a week in Monterey, speaking with their DLIFLC counterparts, program managers, instructors and students at the Presidio of Monterey and at DLIFLC instructional facilities.

“Our language school is located in Rio de Janeiro near the famous Copa Cabana Sidewalk,” said Vilas Boas, “We provide intensive English courses for officers and NCOs who are assigned to work at Brazilian Embassies abroad and also instructors….we are going to teach at foreign military schools,” he explained, adding that unlike at DLIFLC, language teachers must join the military in order to be an instructor.

“All of our teachers are Brazilians. They have (foreign language) college degrees and then they join the military. After that they have nine months of military training so they can work with the Army as language teachers,” explained Vilas Boas, pointing out the contrast to DLIFLC instructors who are mainly native-born.

Visitors from the Brazilian Army Language School observe a Russian immersion class on the Presidio of Monterey. (Photo by Natela Cutter)

One of the key differences the visitors pointed out is that their language school does not have enlisted members in contrast to DLIFLC, where the majority of the students are enlisted and are normally first-time learners of the foreign language being taught.

“Our process is different than yours. So, to go to our school one has to be already accredited in the language skills. He has to take our language exams and prove himself that he has the talent. Then, our army choses him and to sends him abroad,” said Avelar Tinoco.

One of the key stops of the Brazilian Army School delegation was DLIFLC’s Foreign Area Officer Program, headed by an Army lieutenant colonel who is responsible for the overseeing of all FAOs studying at DLIFLC and the neighboring Naval Postgraduate School.

“I found the mission of the Brazilian language school quite interesting.  It’s tailored to meet their militaries language requirements, which is primarily to provide a language refresher course prior to sending their personnel to Embassies around the world,” said the Institute’s FAO director, Lt. Col. Kevin Bosch.

Lt. Col. Sergio Avelar Tinoco and Capt. Carlos Henrique Souza Vilas Boas enjoy lunch with students and staff at Belas dinning facility at the Predidio of Monterey. (Photo by Natela Cutter)

During their stay, the officers spent time visiting classrooms, talking with instructors and administrators, but also spending time with students, sitting in on their classes, eating lunch and finding out about their daily routine.

The Brazilian Army Language School was stood up about three years ago with an average of some 200 students attending per year and 30 to 40 teachers. Languages taught there include English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Russian and Portuguese for foreigners.

By Natela Cutter

Spc. Lingo retired from the Army Dec. 6, after three years of faithful service to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center as the institute’s mascot.

Spc. Lingo retired from the Army Dec. 6, after three years of faithful service to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center as the institute’s mascot.

On the day of his retirement, Lingo received a certificate that officially absolved him of his duties, acknowledging him for his “exemplary leadership, dedication to excellence in participating in command runs, sporadic deer chasing, and devouring treats … while keeping with the finest traditions of military service…”

“I am going to miss Lingo greatly. He is such a joy to have at work, especially when you need a break,” said Theresa Bowker, a staff member at DLIFLC, who regularly walked Lingo.

“Lingo has been a fantastic dog for DLI,” said DLIFLC Commandant, Col. Gary Hausman. “I joke that he is more like a cat than a large dog … until you bring out that leash and his eyes get big because he is ready to go outside,” he said. “In the mornings, he sings! He walks around the front office and howls, and it’s fun to hear because it does come across as if he is singing.”

Lingo was simultaneously adopted Dec. 6 by a staff member whose son, Michael Bugary, will train Lingo to become a therapy dog and continue his career helping people in the local community.

According to Hausman, Lingo’s routine included walking around to ‘say hello’ to all the staff members as they arrived in the morning. When important visitors came, Lingo would be the first to greet them at the door and promptly follow them into the commandant’s office with either a bone or toy in jaw.

“When I came to work in the mornings, he would enter my office to see me and give me a nudge. And not a simple nudge! He gives you a heavy nudge against your arm….so I asked staff what he wanted from me, and they said ‘a treat,’ but not ordinary treats,” explained Hausman, saying that the previous commandant gave Lingo tuna fish. As a result, Hausman began giving him hot dogs.

“Ordinary treats are not up to his standard,” Hausman said with a broad smile. “And now, he (Lingo) is moving on to greater things, to help out as a support animal,” said Hausman to about 30 staff members who had come to give Lingo another pat on the head before his departure.

Lingo was simultaneously adopted Dec. 6 by a staff member whose son, Michael Bugary, will train Lingo to become a therapy dog and continue his career helping people in the local community.

“I am excited to have him. Hopefully, I can give him a purpose,” said Bugary, who intends to have Lingo trained at the SPCA to become a therapy dog and continue his career helping people in the local community.

Over the past three years, staff, faculty and leadership have all taken part in Lingo’s life, walking, feeding, and taking him home for the weekends and long holidays.

Lingo was adopted in November 2015 by then DLIFLC Commandant, Col. Phil Deppert. The idea to adopt a mascot came about at an SPCA presentation attended by senior leadership. What began as a joke soon became reality. “Getting approval to have a mascot was the fastest Judge Advocate ruling I have ever received,” said Deppert at the time.

Over the past three years, staff, faculty and leadership have all taken part in Lingo’s life, walking, feeding, and taking him home for the weekends and long holidays. Now Lingo will be part of a family with several other dogs. “And he is the biggest of them all,” said Bugary, with a smile.

You can also watch a video story about Lingo’s retirement:

Specialist Lingo retires from service from DLIFLC on Vimeo.

By Natela Cutter

The U.S. Army’s senior defense attaché at the American Embassy in Beijing, China had a few things to share with newly-minted Foreign Area Officers who are attending a week-long joint FAO course hosted by the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Jan. 14-18.

Brig. Gen. Brian Davis speaks at JFAOC about his experience working in Beijing, China.

“It is important to understand that what you do now will set the tone for your entire career,” said Brig. Gen. Robert “Brian” Davis, the key note speaker Jan. 15 at the Presidio of Monterey. The event was attended by nearly 150 FAOs from all four branches of the service and their spouses.

The week-long course is designed to offer general orientation to the FAO profession for young captains and majors who just began their new career field. The course consists of workshops with guest lecturers who are experts in the field of foreign affairs and specialize in regional political topics, operations, and security cooperation.

“It is important for you to know where you are in the world, which is completely different than it was 20 years ago,” when the global balance of power was roughly divided into two spheres, between Western democracies and the former communist Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc nations.

Brig. Gen. Davis shares a laugh with his former instructor, Patrick Lin, during his visit to the Asian I school.

“This is a period of increasing risk, of the return of Great Power competition…” he continued, stating that the job of FAOs is even more crucial today with the continuous changing of political and economic alliances.

Davis speaks from 16 years of experience, having served in China, Thailand and Taiwan. He graduated from the Chinese Mandarin Basic course at DLIFLC 23 years ago and surprised his old instructors with his fluency.

“I am amazed at how well he speaks the language,” said Davis’ former instructor Patrick Lin with a broad smile. Lin was Davis’ instructor in the early 1990s.

“He is very, very fluent,” Lin commented, as the brigadier general carried out a swift conversation with students in the classroom during his visit to the schoolhouse a day before the JFAOC began.
At the conference, Davis imparted several pieces of good advice to the multiservice FAOs. “If you remember anything today, it will be ‘networking,’” he said, explaining that the branch of service does not make a difference when stationed abroad at an American Embassy where all staff report to the Ambassador. “Being an FAO is very different than being a staff officer.”

“Leadership skills are built on consensus building. Often times you will find yourself in a situation where you may be supervising someone who is higher than you in rank,” he said, offering that it is better to work together as a team to resolve issues and overcome challenges.

Foreign Area officers and their spouses chat during a break during the conference.

Davis said that one of the most important elements of being an FAO is having a good reputation. “Your reputation is important … build it and maintain it…it will last for a life time,” he said.

FAOs, who come from the four branches of the U.S. military, are regionally focused and are considered experts on political-military issues. FAOs typically begin their careers at the one-week course. Once their FAO training is completed, which includes language training and graduate school in a regionally focused topic, they are expected to serve as defense attachés, security cooperation officers and political-military planners worldwide.

By Tammy Cario

“You started 50 years ago last week,” Jerry Spivey said to Vincent “Vinnie” Zinck who was sitting across a classroom full of students at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Jan. 14, “and I started September or October of ‘68.”

Despite both attending the then Defense Language Institute West Coast Branch at the same time during the late 1960s, the two didn’t meet until they were stationed in Taiwan during the Vietnam War.

Vinnie Zinck (left) and Jerry Spivey walk around DLIFLC to see how much the Presidio of Monterey has changed in the last 50 years.

“We lived in the same neighborhood in Taiwan right outside of Taipei. We just reconnected on a new thing called Facebook,” explained Jerry, a native of Georgia. The two had lost touch after going their separate ways, only to reunite, first on Facebook and then face to face in San Francisco where Vinnie and his wife live, over 40 years later.

The pair decided they wanted to revisit their days at DLIFLC, the foundation of where their shared past began. The tour started with a visit to the Chinese school, a language they both learned when they joined.

“Most of us who had graduated from college were afraid of getting drafted and getting sent to Vietnam in the infantry. So we figured the odds were better if we enlisted,” Vinnie explained to the students. “Back in the stone age when Jerry and I were here, there were two courses [for Chinese]. One was 39 weeks and one was 47 weeks. Jerry had the 47 week and I had the 39 week course.”

Now the Chinese course has expanded to 64 weeks. And that isn’t the only thing that has changed since they attended DLIFLC.

“When we came to class, we wore Class A uniforms,” said Vinnie. “We did not wear camos or fatigues, we didn’t march to class. It was very loosey-goosey. It was much more like a school than a military base.”

Jerry was emphatic in his agreement. “Much more like a school.”

Later on as they toured other areas of the Presidio of Monterey, Jerry told a story that encapsulated the difference between then and now.

“Every morning, we would get in formation at 8 o’clock. There was a platoon leader in front of four different platoons. The first sergeant would walk down the steps of the mess hall, walk down in front (of us) and yell, ‘Report!’ The four platoon leaders would salute the first sergeant, saying all present and accounted for… and then the first sergeant would yell ‘Dismissed!’

“One particularly foggy morning,” Jerry continued, “it was thick as it could be. We’re all standing in formation waiting for the first sergeant, looking at our watches. He was late. I mean you couldn’t see 10 feet in front of you. And all of a sudden, we hear, ‘Report!’ And the first platoon leader looks and yells, ‘All present and accounted for!’ All four of [the platoon leaders] went down [the line]. Then somebody yells, ‘Dismissed!’ We started walking over to the classroom and the first sergeant started walking down the mess hall steps. Someone had impersonated the first sergeant.”

Jerry Spivey (left) and his wife Connie, along with fellow classmate Vinnie Zinck and his wife Liz (not pictured), join in on a Chinese class in progress.

Back to the classroom visit, Vinnie began by speaking in Chinese Mandarin to the students before switching over to English. “When I got out of the Army, I continued my Chinese and got my Master’s degree in East Asian language in literature at Indiana University…after that I got my MBA in finance and started working for Chase Manhattan Bank in New York. They sent me to Hong Kong, which was supposed to be for six months and I ended up being there for 10 years.”

After returning to the States, Vinnie spent the next 12 years traveling back and forth between New York and Asia. It was a major shift of focus, considering that before he joined the military, Vinnie had no idea he had a propensity for foreign languages.

“Every night [at DLI] we had to memorize a conversation. And the first hour every morning we would pair off…and repeat the conversation from memory. Obviously as the course went on, the conversations went longer and longer and longer. But that’s really what I felt built up the fluency because you didn’t have to think about that translation process in your head. From the very first day, you heard yourself speaking the language.” It was a trick he used as he went on to learn Italian and Japanese.

Jerry, who returned to Georgia after his military service, hadn’t lost as much of his Chinese as he’d thought.

“I mean, I caught a whole lot more words than I thought I would remember just in listening to the conversation [in the classroom]. I need the context of the conversation, but I was more of a listener. That’s what we did overseas.”

Their visit had a dual purpose – not only did they get to revisit their old stomping grounds, they were able to offer the students hope that the day-to-day grind of the classroom work was worth it. “I hope you guys realize the opportunity,” Vinnie told the service members in the classroom. “Whether you use the Chinese like I did after I left the Army…it’s still something that changed our lives. You guys have a great opportunity.”

Jerry, too, thinks that learning Chinese was a life-changing experience. “DLI remains a unique experience and it being in Monterey doubles the impact.  Although we didn’t have drill sergeants to ‘encourage’ us, our classes back in the late 60’s took seriously our task. The education we received at DLI translated into dedicated work to provide our leaders the very best intelligence on which to base their decisions.”

The common thread running through their lives was DLIFLC and their time in the service. It’s what brought them back in touch again.

“For whatever reason, a New Yorker and a Southerner became friends in Taiwan those many years ago,” said Jerry. “We experienced a 47 year interruption in that friendship. Yet when we saw one another again, the friendship went on never missing a beat.”

By Tammy Cario

With fluency in two foreign languages, a Ph.D. in music arts and a possible Officer Training School appointment in his future, you might think that Airman 1st Class Toan Tran likes to learn.

“That’s what my mom says,” laughed Tran.

You and his mother would be right.

Airman 1st Class Toan Tran studies Arabic while at the Aiso Library on the Presidio of Monterey.

“I think I do like learning. It’s always been a comfort,” he said. It’s what brought him to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in the first place. After finishing his Ph.D. in music arts, Tran discovered finding work was tougher than he’d thought.

“I was at the end of the doctorate, a terminal degree. There was literally no more school. So I bided my time for as long as I could but the [job] market did not improve. In fact, it got worse. At least in terms of music jobs.”

Fortunately, he had a high school friend who directed him toward becoming a linguist with the Air Force.

“DLI really peaked my interest,” explained Tran. “It seemed so impossible for them to teach you to be functional in a language in a year and a half and expect you to go out there with work that could have actual implication in people’s lives and national security.”

A Ph.D. is one of the highest degrees you can get. And then he joined the military to go to one of the longest training tracks offered. All told, civilian college included, Tran will have been in school for more than 10 years by the time he gets to his first duty station.

On top of his Ph.D., Tran also had another thing in his favor – he already knew a second language. His fluency came from being a first generation Vietnamese. But, as he explained, knowing a second language was some help but not as much as you’d think.

“It’s always in the back of my mind that there are other ways to make a sentence structure or syntax… To be honest, with how fast the classes move here, I don’t think it was very much of an advantage,” Tran said.

And, while having a Ph.D. is a good thing, it didn’t mean he felt like he conquered the course.

“Honestly, even with the good scores I got, I feel like I survived,” Tran said ruefully. “That in itself is a way bigger accomplishment than I ever would have thought (possible) walking in to this place. I had a Ph.D. I thought if there was anything I know how to do, it’s how to learn. I’m a professional student in every way. But honestly, the pace of the course was more than I could have prepared for.”

After successfully completing his Arabic course in December, Tran is now waiting to hear whether he will be selected to go to OTS. In the meantime, he keeps up with his new language by tutoring the new students and helping around the Middle East schoolhouse. He said it lets him remain immersed in the language without the stress of homework and tests.

As a life-long learner, Tran had this to say to upcoming students who might feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work necessary to learn a language in such a short time:

“Trust the system. Sometimes you feel like you know better or like there is no way it could work for you. But DLI has been around for a while and they’ve churned out a huge number of linguists.  If you simply trust in the system and grin and bear it…you can really get through it.”

LD test

By Tammy Cario

They say life happens when you make plans. In the case of Michel Ashi and Marah Al-Masri, life happened when they didn’t make plans.

“We both lived in Los Angeles,” Marah said, Michel next to her at the table. “We never crossed paths. Never met at all.”

That is, they didn’t meet until 2016 when Michel got a job as a teacher at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, working in the same building as Marah, who is also a foreign language teacher. On Michel’s first day, Marah had just come back from LA after a weekend spent celebrating her birthday and was telling the story to everyone in the room.

“I was listening and I cracked a joke,” Michel said. “She laughed and I felt like ‘Oh she laughs at my jokes so that’s a good sign.’”

Michel Ashi and Marah Al-Masri proudly show off their engagement rings at a Christmas party at DLI. (Official DOD photo by Natela Cutter)

Marah said, “He cracked joke and I got it. I was the only one who actually laughed in the room.” They both chuckled at the memory. “We hit it off from there. We became close friends.”

With the two of them coming from similar a background – both originally from Syria – they became good friends who weren’t dating each other. In large part because Michel didn’t want to get married.

“I was very stubborn about being a bachelor,” Michel said. “Just because I lived very well. I didn’t care whether I was going to get married or not.”

Fortunately for them both, Michel changed his mind after a year of them getting to know each other. “She was the right girl at the right time in the right place,” he said.

They began dating. In May of 2017, Michel proposed to Marah much to her, and everyone’s, surprise.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” she said.

Michel Ashi and Marah Al-Masri, both foreign language instructors at DLIFLC, are all smiles after Michel proposed to Marah in Carmel By The Sea, Calif. (Photo used with permission from Marah Al-Masri)

When they put the proposal video on Facebook, their family and friends were very happy for them, Marah said. “The comment we got was, ‘Well you look cute together. You fit together.’”

Not everyone saw a future for their relationship. It’s unconventional because he is a Christian and she is a Muslim.

Marah said, “It’s a taboo back in Syria. And even here.”

Michel agreed. “It’s a taboo for some conservative families. [Marrying with different religions] is not very common anywhere in any society but specifically in the Middle East.” He continued, “I didn’t think of it much, but I mean, she’s Muslim, I’m Christian, who cares? I don’t care, I hope you don’t,” he said to Marah.

She smiled at him. “No I don’t.”

“I mean, we live in America, so let’s be more open,” Michel said.

The wedding will be in LA, where there is a large Syrian community.

“We love Monterey,” Marah said. “It’s beautiful. People fly from everywhere to get married here and take pictures.” But, she explained, because there is such a large Syrian community in southern California, Los Angeles has more Middle Eastern options available to them for the wedding.

They will be inviting friends and family they’ve developed here at DLI to be part of the wedding celebration. Their co-workers didn’t have to push them into a relationship – it just happened naturally – but Marah and Michel are still grateful.

“I don’t think we would have ever met-” said Michel.

“Or come across each other,” added Marah.

“-if it weren’t for DLI.”

Marah agreed. “Thank God for DLI.”

By Tammy Cario

Languages aren’t the only thing being taught here at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.

Rick Lagerstrom on Hilltop Field teaching over 40 Soldiers about field expedient antennas.

Army Capt. Matthew Hughes, commander of Company C. 229th Military Intelligence Battalion at the Presidio of Monterey, believes his Soldiers with the military occupation specialty code of 35P – cryptologic linguists – would benefit from learning how to amplify their radio signal.

“This is a critical task,” Capt. Hughes explained, “because down range, a lot of our equipment won’t function correctly or we need to enhance it.” For instance, he said, they might be going out into the field where there is low connectivity. “This is the best way to do that for redundancy in communications.”

To that end, Hughes enlisted the help of a retired major in the Air Force, Rick Lagerstrom, who has extensive experience in ham radios and training military and civilians on how to enhance them.

“What we’re going to do today is teach the students how to work with wire,” said Lagerstrom from Hilltop Field, where over 40 soldiers gathered to learn how to build field expedient antennas. “We’re going to work with coax (cable) and then we’re going to put it all together into a halfway dipole which is significantly better than any of the other vertical antennas they might be using out in the field.”

To put it into perspective, according to Lagerstrom, with the enhanced dipole, “significantly better” can be

Soldiers from the 229th MI BN learn how to set up a radio antenna at Hilltop Field.

anywhere from two to 20 times better bandwidth.

In order to make these dipoles in the field, the Soldiers have to have the ability to be resourceful, Hughes said. “They have to know how to use whatever is available to them in the field.” Things like trash or bottle caps from their lunch or MREs. The point is, Hughes said, they need to know how to improvise when conditions aren’t ideal.

This is a critical skill, Longestrom said, because linguists intercept. “That’s using radios. And they need to be able to understand what’s coming across. That’s not just knowing the language, it’s being able to hear it. And with weak signals, the signals are cut off. The bandwidths are not pure nor is it wide enough so consonants just go away and many other sounds are not really clearly audible.”

You can see our video story here:

Story by Joseph Kumzak, Presidio of Monterey Public Affairs

PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. — The Marine Corps Detachment hosted a memorialization ceremony March 1 to dedicate its new barracks to a fallen Marine and Defense Language Institute alumnus.

The Presidio is lined with buildings dedicated to distinguished individuals in recognition for their courage, heroism and selfless service — such as Taylor Hall, Rasmussen Hall and Nakamura Hall.

Pyeatt Barracks is Presidio’s newest building dedicated to Marine Sgt. Lucas Pyeatt who was killed in action Feb. 5, 2011 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

“For the next few decades every Marine that comes through DLI will live in this barracks. And every day when they come and go, they will walk past that plaque and see Sgt. Pyeatt’s picture and citation and be reminded of what he did … hopefully that inspires Marines for years to come,” said Lt. Col. Jason Schermerhorn, Marine Corps Detachment commander.

Pyeatt studied Russian at DLI June 2008 – June 2009, then graduated the Russian Cryptologic program Sept. 11, 2009. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

He was on his first deployment in Afghanistan for only two weeks when he volunteered for the mission that cost his life.

“I know I can’t go on every patrol, but I need to go on the first one so I know what my Marines are going through,” he told a fellow Marine as they prepared for the mission.

Pyeatt was posthumously awarded the National Intelligence Medal for Valor. Former director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper presented the award to his parents June 29, 2011.

“He ensured that each one of us was taken care of and that we knew that this was our new family” said Staff Sgt. Anish Parmar, Pyeatt’s former teammate. “Luke was just an all-around happy person and always strived to be better.”

Parmar added, “Luke didn’t become famous because we lost him in Afghanistan, everyone knew him before then.”

Parents Scott and Cindy traveled from Ohio, and uncle from southern California, to attend the building dedication.

“We are so grateful that the Marine Corps cared enough about our son to remember him, and the linguists that come after him will know his story,” said Cindy. “We appreciate all of the work that went into this … everyone here has jumped through hoops to get this ready. The Marines will be moving in soon and they are very excited.”

The four-story barracks has 160 rooms — each with a kitchen, bathroom, and individual bedrooms for the two occupants.

Jay Tulley, Presidio’s energy manager, said the building is designed to be environmentally friendly, conserve energy and reduce costs. Included are high-efficiency heating units, an energy-recovery ventilation system, LED lights and a solar-thermal heating system.

“The building will consume half the energy per square foot than the average barracks on the Presidio,” he said.

Scott, a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant said it’s the most impressive barracks he has seen.

“Oh my gosh it’s amazing, this is so beautiful,” said Cindy. She jokingly added, “The Air Force is going to go to war over it.”

“I think it is so cool that his memory will never die,” said Giada Bleeker, Pyeatt’s close friend and fellow Marine. “He had an impact on so many people, and now he will continue to impact so many future Marines in a positive way.”

By Tammy Cario

The words inscribed at the feet of Lady Liberty, “”Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…,” might well have been written with someone like Waseem Abdo in mind. He, along with 24 other applicants, officially became citizens of the United States in a naturalization ceremony held at the Presidio of Monterey March 7.

“Honestly, I feel like I have never been a citizen of any country,” Abdo said from his office at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center where he works as an Arabic language instructor.

Abdo escaped from Syria in 2011 after being persecuted by the government and experiencing detention and threats to his life. Despite growing up in such a beautiful part of the world, a lot of the regime’s ideals didn’t mesh up with what he inherently believed.

“I’ve always been passionate about freedom and freedom of expression. Back in the day when I tried to do journalism in Syria, I had a lot of difficulty expressing myself because we lived under a dictatorship for a long time,” he said.

Expressing himself led to harassment by the government, especially when he worked as a media advisor for the American Embassy in Syria.

Two of Waseem Abdo’s military students congratulate him after his naturalization ceremony held at DLIFLC March 7, 2019.

“You can’t keep a secret in Syria, so everyone knew about it,” Abdo said. “I got arrested twice for the sole reason of my position at the Embassy. I was tortured.” Thanks to the ambassador at the time who intervened, Abdo was released. “It wasn’t a good idea [for me to stay] because I knew as soon as the Embassy shut down, they would come after me again. So I had to leave.”

In 2011, when the war broke out in Syria, Abdo and his family fled to different parts of the world. Because of his job with the American Embassy, he was able to come the United States, get his green card and apply for asylum.

“It’s a huge step for me,” Abdo said of the naturalization ceremony. “I feel like I’m going to be a citizen for the first time ever.” He added, “I owe this country for when they got me out of prison. I owe this country for the opportunity to have a safe and free life. I owe this country for having the right to express myself the way I want without being judged or persecuted.”

Abdo has been in the U.S. for eight years. Becoming a naturalized citizen on Thursday was the last step in a long journey.

“This is icing on the cake. Now I’m going to be able to vote. I’m going to feel even more loyal to this country. This is my nation. I’ve always had the feeling that this is my nation – but now it’s official!”

Three of his students stayed late after class to watch the ceremony and cheer their teacher on.

“He’s one of the smartest individuals I’ve ever met,” Seaman Kiersten Stone said. Speaking for herself and the two other classmates at the ceremony with her, she said, “We are extremely honored to call him a fellow American.”

It’s not often you can say you attended school with your future father-in-law. When Pete Weldon attended the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language center to study Korean in 1957, he began dating Marcia Houston, only to discover her father, William Houston, was also at DLIFLC, studying Mandarin Chinese.

“With her dad being in the same company and being a master sergeant, not only did I have to ask his permission (to get married) but I had to ask the commanding officer’s permission,” recalled Weldon with a laugh.

Sgt. 1st Class Pete Weldon, Master Sgt. William Houston and Pfc. Robin Weldon talk at Goodfellow Air Force Base during the younger Weldon’s linguist training in 1979. (Photo by Air Force Sgt. Bill Cooper for the Monitor)

Houston, who died in 2009, was a photographer in the Army during World War II. In an interview with the Monitor in 1979, Houston explained that it was Gen. Douglas MacArthur who told him he should go into military intelligence.

“So I did!” he told the Monitor.

Weldon, meanwhile, graduated from DLIFLC and went on to have a 22-year career with the military that wove in and out of DLIFLC. It included being a career adviser for students at DLIFLC.

“Everybody knew who I was,” said Weldon. “When you’re the career adviser…you find friends you never knew you had.”

His Korean language led him to, among other things, three tours in Korea and one in Japan. During Weldon’s tour in Japan in 1969, he was monitoring the channels when he caught a distress signal broadcast by a Navy ship sailing in international waters. It was being attacked by the North Koreans.

“We turned every station on to that AM signal,” Weldon said. “I spent all night up with that one.”

As it turned out, that signal was from the USS Pueblo, a ship that was captured and its crew taken hostage. The incident made headlines across the world. It was difficult for the Korean translators because, as Weldon explained, they wanted to be able to help but the North Koreans had gone completely silent.

A few years later, after his third tour in Korea, Weldon decided he wanted to learn a new language. He came back to DLIFLC where he took Russian for 47 weeks.

That’s where Weldon learned an important lesson. “If you’re learning a foreign language, grammar’s the key. You can look up the big words but you’ve got to learn the grammar.” He was terrible at memorization, he said, so his daughter, Robin, then a 9th grader, helped him.

“His first (text)book was a red book and I was intrigued by it,” the younger Weldon said. “I was studying it with him.”

That experience inspired her, along with her grandfather’s legacy, to join the Army and become a Russian linguist. Plus, “my parents got married in Monterey. I

Robin Hildebrand poses with her language instructor at DLIFLC circa 1979. (Photo courtesy of Robin Hildebrand)

was born at Fort Ord and we lived in Carmel,” she said, adding that the Monterey area was always a special place for her.

In 1978, Robin Weldon, now married with the last name Hildebrand, became a third generation DLI student. “It is very fascinating because your world opens up and you learn about the different languages and the different cultures,” said Hildebrand. “You embrace other cultures.”

Hildebrand was stationed in Germany as a voice analyst at a time when the former Soviet Union had Berlin separated by a wall. “I was out (of the military) and working as a civilian at Fort Huachuca when the wall between the two Germanys came down,” she said.

Hildebrand, Weldon and Houston don’t have just DNA and DLIFLC in common. They have also all played a part in making U.S. history. Their service comes with plenty of stories to pass on to the next generation.

By Natela Cutter

Be careful what you wish for if you’re a Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center graduate! You could easily end up catapulted into a world crisis where leaders are clinging to your every word, making crucial national security decisions based upon the information you provide them.

Such is the story of three Persian Farsi language graduates who in the summer of 1978 found themselves working on one of the most historically important political turning points in the Middle East – the Iranian Revolution.

Thomas Chesno speaks with Persian Farsi linguist, telling them about his experience of working for the government and managing linguists during the Iranian Revolution and hostage crisis in 1979.

“We had zero idea what we were going to do when we showed up for work…Coming out of the Persian Farsi program [at DLIFLC] we thought we knew it all, but — we knew nothing,” said Michael Ruhm, to large a group of multi-service Persian Farsi linguists.

Along with his two former classmates, Donald Huntington and Michael Sherman, and former boss Thomas Chesno, Ruhm visited the Persian Farsi School Feb. 21, at the Presidio of Monterey, as part of an alumni reunion, incidentally coinciding with the 40^th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution.

“We went from knowing nothing…to the White House situation room calling and saying, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ And we had to fall back on what we learned in Monterey,” Ruhm explained, remembering that he had received an urgent call at 7 a.m. to come to work after a long night out on the town.

The political situation in Iran spiraled out of control and a religious revolutionary anti-Western group, led by Shia clerk Ayatollah Khomeini, overthrew the 2,500

Michael Ruhm, an Air Force Persian Farsi language graduate, went on to serve in the Persian Gulf aboard the USS La Salle and was “crossdecked” to several other ships during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979. He spent 238 consecutive days at sea during this period.

year-old monarchy. With growing distrust toward the U.S., in November 1979 the American Embassy was stormed and 52 Americans were taken hostage. Their ordeal would last 444 days.

Just four days after receiving the call, Ruhm found himself aboard the USS La Salle, where he would take a helicopter every day to fly up the Persian Gulf, closer to Iranian flight space to pick up more communications about the hostage crisis.

“In 1979, things were extremely in disarray in Iran,” said Chesno, telling students that as supervisor he not only dealt with the intricate details of the crisis, but was also charged with the wellbeing of his assigned Airmen.

“Michael [Ruhm] was asked to fly each day,” said Chesno, recounting how he went to the Air Force to ask them for flight pay. “And they said ‘He is not flight qualified, so he can’t have flight pay.’ And I said, ‘But he is flying every day,’ and they said, ‘No, he is not!’” The room of students rolled with laughter.

After being told he would spend three to six weeks on a ship, Ruhm was moved from ship to ship as one of the most qualified linguists available, spending a total of 238 days at sea.

“Every time the La Salle pulled into [a port in] Bahrain they said ‘Oh, no you don’t!’ and I saw no land, not once,” explained Ruhm adding that there was a special system for “cross-decking” him, or moving him from ship to ship. “They pulled you on a cable and chair, sometimes underwater….”

While Ruhm’s classmates went back to their normal lives after enlistment, Ruhm continued working for the government for the next 34 years, 32 of which were spent outside the United States.

DLIFLC Persian Farsi alumni, from left to right, Michael Sherman, Thomas Chesno, Michael Ruhm and Donald Huntington.

“You just don’t know when you are going to get the next phone call and where it will take you,” Chesno told the students, advising them to learn not only the language and vocabulary, but also understand the culture. “Your training will never ever stop…you need to know what the words look like when they are abbreviated or cut short in a conversation…”

Having worked in the intelligence community for 50 years, Chesno offered to students that their skill set would always be in high demand. “You guys aren’t going away. When it comes down to the final decision on things, you are the folks we need in negotiations, you are the folks we need when we find papers in the pockets of terrorists…

As for Ruhm, his career took him to dozens of countries and he learned at least six more languages.

“I had the opportunity to visit such garden spots as Somalia, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Tunisia, Kuwait, El Salvador,” he said. “And each time I got the call, I said ‘sure, how much worse can it be?’”

For a guy who played in a rock band and had a part time chimney sweep job at 19, Ruhm says that learning Persian Farsi took him a long way. “Farsi is my first love and I still think it is the most beautiful language spoken out there.”