Langauge: The Fourth Core Soldier Skill

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The number one priority for a Soldier in the United States Army is the accomplishment of the mission. The mission is the reason the Army places such substantial emphasis on three core Soldier skills; Physical Readiness Training (PRT), weapons qualification, and MOS training. When these essential skills are lacking amongst Soldiers, the mission suffers. Linguists in the Army have a fourth core skill that separates them from all other Soldiers: their language. These language skills are what they provide to the mission; therefor the Army should place the same emphasis on developing this skill they do on the other core Soldier skills.
Every morning, Monday through Friday throughout the Army, Soldiers wake up before the sun and conduct PRT. This has been the case for as long as most Soldiers can remember. Ask a Sergeant Major if he or she would ever consider not conducting PRT on a daily basis and you are likely to spend the next 15 to 20 minutes in the front-leaning rest position rethinking the question you just asked. PRT is the foundation of soldiering. Soldiers are expected to be fit to fight, fit to conduct their duties and fit to accomplish the mission. Therefore, the Army places a great deal of emphasis on PRT. When a Soldier is not fit and cannot meet the standard the Army makes every effort to get them to the standard, to get them back in the fight, or remove them from the Army when all efforts are exhausted.
The same can be said for weapons qualification. Any Soldier who has been in the military for a period of time has likely had the honor of spending an entire day at the range waiting for a Soldier who is struggling to qualify on their assigned weapon. Soldiers coach and mentor that individual. Leaders are at their side m...

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...ity to provide the time for linguists to conduct language training just as they do for the other three core Soldier skills. No longer should it be more important for a Soldier to sweep a motor pool than conduct language maintenance. Most leaders will agree that they would not replace PRT time with busy work. Why do they do it with language training?
All Soldiers must remain fight to fight. Linguists are no exception. The emphasis on language training must mirror or exceed the emphasis placed on PRT, weapons qualification and MOS training in order to keep our linguists fit to fight. Language training can no longer take a backseat. Leaders must make every effort to ensure Soldiers get the same opportunities and mentorship in language training that they do in the other core Soldier skills. It is the only way to maintain the most effective fighting force going forward.

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