...rather than drop this in to the thread that has struck off debating Krepinevich's piece, I felt it deserved its own place, as it presents his and others' viewpoints on this issue. To put it simply, please continue to use the other thread to debate the need for a balance between COIN vs HIC training for the force, but use this thread for discussion of the most effective (and operationally practical) method of implementing the ideal of language and cultural capabilities as presented to the committee.

9 Jul 08 testimony before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee on Defense Language and Cultural Awareness Transformation:

Richard Brecht, Center for Advanced Study of Language, University of Maryland
Summary Conclusions and Recommendations

• The end state is a “globalized total force,” with defined organic capabilities supported by force multipliers based on outsourcing, localization, and reach-back.

• The core to this capability, the Defense Language Transformation Roadmap (DLTR), must be completed and its funding and programs maintained or enhanced.

• Successful recruitment depends ultimately on vastly improved language education at the K-12 level, and the DoD should continue to support and serve as the “bully pulpit” for improvement in the nation’s schools, colleges, and universities.

• A national coordination point for language, similar to the Office for Science and Technology Policy, should be created in the White House and charged to provide guidance in integrating the national architecture upon which this end state depends.

• A network-based language and culture resource access system should be developed that is capable of locating and providing needed language and cultural resources anytime and anywhere, leveraging the extensive USG investments in language and culture as well the resources of academe, industry, and the nation’s heritage communities.

• A concentrated effort should be made in the areas of African and Asian languages and cultures.

• Finally, a short term solution should be a priority, specifically the creation of the. network-based language and culture resource access system.
Andrew F. Krepinevich, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments
....given the overwhelming success of our ground forces in conventional warfare operations, and the shift of rival militaries and nonstate entities toward irregular warfare, orienting 48 active Army brigades, 28 National Guard brigades, and three Marine Corps divisions primarily on conventional warfare operations would appear to reflect a desire to prepare for the kinds of challenges we would prefer to confront, rather than those we will most likely encounter.....
Montgomery McFate, Joint Advanced Warfighting Division, Institute for Defense Analyses
....For any of these solutions to be sustainable beyond the immediate conflicts, they should be rationalized, coordinated and institutionalized. Otherwise, the capabilities will be lost and will have to be rebuilt yet again....
Amy Zalman, SAIC
....Very loosely, here are some of the practical steps toward cultural and linguistic transformation. Although I have primarily folded foreign language learning into the broader cultural awareness rubric today, it is probable that there are supporting activities related only to the special activity of language acquisition that should be undertaken.

• Develop a cultural and linguistic awareness transformation strategy.

• Conduct a Cultural Awareness Training and Education Audit for Congress.

• Find a home base for cultural awareness and linguistic transformation planning, or create room for one within existing organizational structures.

• Design and test a requisite first "layer" of cultural awareness learning that will be required of all military members in the future.