Navy overhauls foreign language bonus program

[unhappycamper]

Navy overhauls foreign language bonus program
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, February 17, 2008

Parlez-vous Francais? A “yes” from a U.S. sailor could mean an extra $500 a month.

The Navy made changes to its Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus Program, tripling the payout for some languages, recategorizing others and opening the program to all sailors who use language skills in their work, not just those in fields such as cryptology or intelligence, said Mark Neighbors, director of the Navy Foreign Language Program Office.

That means, for example, sailors who test proficient in French on the Defense Language Proficiency Test could earn as much as $500 a month for using their language skills during the Navy’s new missions in western Africa, Neighbors said.

Sailors can take the roughly three- to five-hour exam at any Navy College Office. For now, overseas sailors can take the exam only on paper, while those in the States have the option of taking a Web-based version.

However, within weeks or months, depending on how trial phases go, sailors overseas also will have the Web-based option. Technicians were at the Navy College Office in Naples, Italy, last week, working to launch the first overseas Web-based testing site.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52556



uhc comment: The primary reason for this award is Africom.

[flor de jasmim]

1. FINALLY! Now increase funding for foreign language programs!

[TahitiNut]

2. I'd think a "oui" would be a better answer.

Strange.