A shortage of speakers with knowledge of critical languages has left top government agencies and the military scrambling to find candidates to fill employment voids in one of the most important areas of national security.Government agents and military personnel rely on these linguists to translate critical information in matters involving national defense on a regular basis.Matt Yetman, sociology sophomore, is one of many students taking advantage of the University’s Arabic program in response to the shortage. He explained future service members at the University can earn an extra $100 per month through ROTC upon completion of a full sequence of two Arabic courses. Yetman will enlist in the Army as a Second Lt. after graduation and plans to apply his knowledge of Arabic to give him a competitive edge in his bid for a position in the Army Infantry. Amid the recent firings of gay linguists, the military has come under fire over its handling of the situation.The Government Accountability Office claimed almost 800 gay or lesbian service members with critical abilities were dismissed, including 300 with important language skills, according to a 2006 MSNBC report.Between 1998 and 2006, the military discharged at least 58 Arabic translators because of their sexual orientation, according to The Associated Press. Many experts have since blamed the 9/11 attacks on a shortage of Arabic linguists in the government.A failure to successfully communicate with members of the Arab world also has daily consequences in the War on Terror.”The Arab culture is very rich and very rooted in tradition and protocol,” said Dr. Hatem Bachar, instructor and coordinator of Arabic studies at the University. “The soldiers have lacked both, the linguistic and cultural knowledge that would have made relationships much easier. Knowledge of the language and the cultural habits reflects respect for that particular culture and a much easier interaction and understanding.””Having U.S. service members that know Arabic will hopefully prevent potentially fatal misunderstandings. Relying on translators alone can be quite problematic for a number of reasons,” said Dr. Mark Wagner, assistant professor of Arabic at the University.In a 2005 report, the GAO reported the total costs and loss of critical skills: $48.8 million for the Navy, $16.6 million for the Air Force and $29.7 million for the Army.”There are shockingly few Americans who are able to use Arabic well enough to represent America in the Arab world,” said Wagner. ”For a long time there was basically one person in the U.S. government who could do it. When Americans take the time to learn Arabic well, it shows respect for Arab culture and facilitates all manner of connections between the US and the Arab world.” President Bush revealed the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI) in 2006 to strengthen national security by increasing the number of Americans learning and teaching critical languages such as Arabic. The departments of State, Education and Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence are working with the White House to provide American teachers and students with opportunities to study these critical languages. This initiative is being pushed through study abroad, international exchange and intensive summer language programs, among others.Among other incentives, the Army is now offering a $150,000 bonus to Arabic linguists.But the military isn’t the only security institution lagging behind. Many government agencies are also increasing efforts to attract critical linguists.As of 2006 only 1 percent of FBI agents had any familiarity with Arabic and none of them worked on investigations involving international terrorism, according to The Washington Post.Failure to attract Arabic-speakers damages government and military relations with foreign communities and makes it harder to gather intelligence on extremists, according to Daniel Byman, a Georgetown professor who spoke to The Washington Post.If the shortage wasn’t already enough, the government is also having trouble attracting and recruiting foreign speakers. To become an agent or a soldier, applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, must meet all qualifications required for those in similar professions, must score well on English and foreign language tests and must pass background checks.These background checks are often difficult to pass for applicants with friends or relatives residing abroad, according to the Post.A 2008 Army Times article explained that amid the limited amount of qualified applicants, the shortage is exacerbated by competition between the military, government agencies and private contractors who pay different amounts for the same skills.However negatively this competition may be viewed, it also creates a larger job market for Arabic speakers and other critical language experts. For those who answer the call — those like LSU’s own Matt Yetman — the ability to speak a foreign language like Arabic gives service members and government agents a cultural awareness they can’t find anywhere else. Apart from their ability to help stabilize potential domestic and foreign conflicts, these linguists can help those in charge of our nation’s defense to better understand our enemies and their environments.Bachar pointed out Arabic knowledge will impact Americans in other less obvious ways by opening up careers in the government, the military, engineering, agriculture, business and other fields.Bachar said speaking Arabic makes it easier to get jobs with the government. “For example, as recent as last year the social security office was looking for candidates who spoke Arabic to help with American citizens unable to speak English. At the U.N. knowing Arabic will put you on a short list toward a secure career,” Bachar said.Wagner agreed.”Arabic linguists … make a lot of money. Companies involved with the rapidly-expanding economies of Persian Gulf countries would also be interested in hiring people who know Arabic. Dollars cents aside, the cultural riches of the Arab world are relatively unknown here. The Arabic language is the key that opens them,” Wagner said.—-Contact Daniel Lumetta at [email protected]
Arabic linguist shortage impairs national defense
September 29, 2008