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Army's weapons arsenal includes language, culture training

Aug-20-2006 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

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By MELANTHIA MITCHELL, ASSOCIATED PRESS

FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- Thousands of miles from the roadside bombs of Iraq, small groups of soldiers hunker down in cream-colored cubicles as instructors guide them through nuances of Arabic and the dos and don'ts of Iraqi culture.

The classroom education has become just as important as weapons training for all levels of U.S. military personnel - from intelligence officers to medics - who are expected to interact daily with citizens of the war-ravaged country.

With no end in sight for U.S. involvement in the Middle East, government and Army leaders are extending classroom instruction to introduce or reacquaint soldiers with Arabic language, customs and beliefs. Military leaders back from deployments have determined that two, even four hours of training wasn't enough to properly prepare soldiers. Commanders are now setting aside as much as 10 months for units to train.

Soldiers also welcome the additional training, both as an opportunity for new experiences and as a necessary tool for their safety.

"It will help stop a lot of conflicts by breaking the language barrier," said Pfc. Cassandra Demerest, 21, of Newberry Springs, Calif., who will complete her language training at Fort Lewis in March.

Hundreds like Demerest have already participated in various stages of the training before deploying to Iraq.

The 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry division, which has left for a second mission to Iraq, went through a weeklong course, said Yvonne M. Pawelek, director of Foreign Language Training Center at Fort Lewis. About 150 unit leaders also trained full time, three days a week for 11 weeks.

Before the brigade's first deployment in 2003, soldiers received just a few hours of language and culture training.

In September, 30 soldiers with the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division are to complete the language course while another group of 20, including Demerest, that began 10 months of training in late May will continue their lessons into next year.


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