DLIFLC learns from
Umbrella Weeks
By Natela Cutter,
Strategic Communications
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY,
Calif. - Information collection teams
from the Defense Language Institute
Foreign Language Center have begun
attending unit Umbrella Weeks in
an effort to collect information about
language and culture familiarization
training needed by deploying forces.
With the recent push in military
doctrine to include foreign language
and culture training for deploying
servicemembers, DLIFLC has
been at the forefront of organizing
this training for the Army and
other services, to include the
establishment of Language Training
Detachments for General Purpose
Force servicemembers at three
locations this year.
“Sgt. Maj. David Ford and I
attended the 3rd BCT, 10th MTN
DIV “Spartan Lessons” Umbrella
Week in March and used surveys and
interviews to identify language and
culture training issues that need to be
resolved and looked at best practices
that should be sustained,” said
Chief Warrant Officer Christopher
Santucci, from DLIFLC.
The Umbrella Weeks are a period
during which units returning from
deployment share information with
various Army agencies and Centers
of Excellence. Thus far, DLIFLC
has sent teams to Umbrella Week
events at Fort Wainright, Alaska, Fort
Carson, Colo., and Lewis McCord
Joint Base in Washington, to conduct
surveys and raise awareness about
DLIFLC products and services.
“The Umbrella Weeks are a great
opportunity to meet with troops
and commanders to talk with them
about their experiences in theater and
hear firsthand what their language
and culture requirements are. The
information we gather will help shape
DLIFLC’s current and future support
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to deploying units and the lessons
learned are also disseminated to the
larger force through the Center for
Army Lessons Learned (CALL),”
explained Santucci.
In analyzing the survey and
interview answers, one common
theme that emerged is that most
Soldiers felt language and cultural
competency were extremely
important in accomplishing their
mission. Due to the nature of the
conflict, even the lowest ranking
individuals can have an impact on
the units’ mission depending on
how they acted in situations that
required cultural sensitivity or basic
language skills.
“Many Soldiers who used
interpreters stated that they did not
always feel they could trust the
interpreter to pass on the full
message or understand what they
were supposed to convey,” said
Santucci.
Because DLIFLC’s main
customer-base for decades has
been the Military Intelligence
community, which comprises
only about 1 percent of the
military population, many other
branches of the military are not
familiar with the products and
services the Institute provides.
“During the Umbrella Weeks, we
found that most combat arms and
support unit commanders were not
aware of the language and culture
materials they could order free of cost
from DLI, or that they could even
have instructors from DLI come out
to hold classes” explained Santucci.
The collection team’s goal was thus
to teach commanders how to access
online and order DLIFLC language
materials.
“Aside from continuing to go to
Umbrella Weeks to conduct surveys,
we are going to concentrate on the
better marketing of our products to
deploying units,” said Santucci.
LSKs - Language Survival Kits
provide survival-level language skills
needed for basic communication.
The kits contain a printable PDF
of the LSK guide and audio files in
CD-ROM or iPod format online.
LSKs are available in more than 55
languages, with up to 10 different
topics per language. The product is
available for order or download.