U.S. REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS QUESTIONS TOP PENTAGON OFFICIALS ABOUT LANGUAGE AND CULTURE FOR TROOPS
Tucson lawmaker says service members need to be prepared to fight the unconventional wars of the 21st century
September 10, 2008
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today questioned top Pentagon officials about the importance of providing adequate language and cultural training for troops engaged in the war on terror.
Giffords, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has long championed the need for language proficiency and greater cultural awareness as our military faces the unconventional threats of the post-9/11 world. The Tucson lawmaker has introduced legislation aimed at boosting the number of service men and women armed with these critical skills.
At a committee hearing today about security and stability in Iraq and Afghanistan, Giffords recognized that there soon will be an increase in troop deployments to Afghanistan. She asked if the Department of Defense was prepared to teach more service members Dari, Pashto, Uzbek, and Turkmen, the main languages of Afghanistan.
Vice Admiral James Winnefeld, Director of Strategic Plans and Policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded that the Pentagon is ready.
Giffords reminded Winnefeld and Eric Edelman, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, that Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the committee in February that language and culture proficiency is essential “for all forces preparing for irregular warfare, training and advising missions, humanitarian efforts, and security and stabilization operations.” Because the Army was able to provide such training to only 3,500 soldiers outside of the Special Forces community last year, the congresswoman asked what that number is this year.
Edelman did not know but agreed that “language and cultural skills are essential.” Winnefeld told Giffords that there is “hardly a military officer out there today who would disagree” with the need for language and culture training.
After the hearing, Giffords said she was pleased to hear that the Pentagon has placed a high priority on language and cultural training. But she said more needs to be done.
“Success in the conflicts of the 21st century requires a well-prepared and well-educated military” said Giffords, whose 8th Congressional District is home to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson and Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista. “The latest weaponry and technology is essential. But so too is the ability to speak the languages and understand the diverse societies in which we might one day find ourselves fighting.”
