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Arabic made focus for Iraq-bound battalion

KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii — When they land in Iraq later this summer, some 200 members of an infantry battalion here will step out better trained and immersed in the Arabic language and culture than ever before.

The battalion commander’s goal: At least two men in each squad will have at least a Level 1 proficiency in Arabic — enough to speak, listen and understand basic conversation.

“Every single [Marine] in the battalion will get some level of Arabic training,” said Lt. Col. Andy Milburn, commander of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

The battalion is getting a course in Arabic training well beyond the basic classes in Iraqi culture and language, and computer-assisted training many military units typically receive before going overseas, Milburn said.

About 200 infantrymen of the 1,000-member battalion will receive some form of additional Arabic training and language instruction. Among those, 50 Marines began a nine-week “immersion course” this spring, taught by two instructors with the Defense Language Institute, which is providing full days of instruction at the Hawaii base.

Additionally, 100 infantrymen are receiving intensive language training in Arabic, while another group of 50 infantrymen receive additional language instruction. “Kudos to DLI,” Milburn said, as the funding for the immersion Arabic training is covered by the Monterey, Calif.-based school.

By strengthening the battalion’s language skills, the commander hopes to better prepare the men for the counterinsurgency environment in Iraq. Trainers have incorporated more Arabic-speaking role players during platoon- and company-level training exercises, with scenarios drawn from real Iraq experiences, and the Marines are expected to respond in Arabic more often.

Having better language skills, he said, will help the Marines navigate the complexities of counterinsurgency, which requires more interaction with local leaders, Iraqi security forces and residents.

The language gap is something identified by retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey’s April 2006 trip report on Iraq. “The stateside Army and Marine Corps also must rapidly create an enhanced Arabic language capability in the Armed Forces,” McCaffrey wrote in that report, which suggested sending more uniformed members through DLI’s 90-day total immersion Arabic course.

Milburn, who took command of 1/3 last year, served as a military training team adviser to Iraqi Army units in Fallujah during the fall 2004 battle and in Mosul. The battalion returned home last fall after seven months deployed to Iraq’s Anbar province.

“What we’re trying to do is just train the muscle memory,” Milburn said. “We’re building decision-making fitness.”