SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – This year’s Language Conference (LANGCON) and Best Linguist Competition (BLING) brought together linguists from military branches and government agencies around the world to test their skills at the Department of War’s premier language competition. Soldiers from the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), representing seven of INSCOM’s major subordinate commands (MSC)., demonstrated their superior linguist skills, bringing home eight awards.
Linguists play a vital role in national security missions, specializing in various intelligence disciplines, such as Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Voice Interceptors, or Human Intelligence (HUMINT). They conduct interrogations, gather information on targets, and communicate with local community members.
BLING provides a platform for military linguists and intelligence linguist communities to challenge their language proficiency both functionally and operationally in a simulated operational environment. The 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist), Salt Lake City, Utah, the only linguist brigade in the United States, drafted a story that was translated into seven languages in which competitors were tested: Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.
Competitors rotated through stations to listen, read, analyze and assess data in real time with no lines or script. Using their knowledge and improvisation skills, they compiled their findings and briefed their command who graded them on the accuracy of the information in their reports.
Across the INSCOM enterprise, competitors from three MSCs took home multiple awards in the top three spots in individual language categories.
From the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade Theater (MIB-T) in Wiesbaden, Germany, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Soyoung Park placed first in Korean and Staff Sgt. George Mason took first in Russian.
At the 500th MIB-T in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Sgt. Gwendolyn Pitkin took first place in Spanish, Staff Sgt. Jungun Park placed second in Korean, Sgt. Ostap Juravich placed third in Russian, and Spc. Daniel Mayor placed third in Korean.
Out of the 706th Military Intelligence (MI) Group at Fort Gordon, Georgia, Spc. Francisco Beltran del Rio took second place in Spanish, and Sgt. Keaton Henderson placed third in French.
In the Individual Overall rankings, the 500th MIB-T's Pitkin placed 2nd, and the 66th MIB-T's Mason placed 3rd.
Stationed at the 715th MI Battalion within the 500th MIB-T, Pitkin serves as a 35P signals intelligence voice interceptor. While she competed in Spanish at BLING, she also attended the Defense Language Institute to learn Chinese, which she now uses to analyze foreign intelligence.
“Being able to do tactical SIGINT is a very important skill for 35 Papas because it's crucial to have someone with that skill set to go out with infantry units or other types of units that are doing tactical field work,” said Pitkin. “If you're in an environment where there's a foreign language being spoken and you have a linguist who speaks a language, then you can not only locate the enemy, but you can find out what they're doing. And that's very important.”
In conjunction with BLING, the 300th MI BDE also hosted the annual Language Conference (LANGCON). The event garnered over 800 military members and civilians and featured keynote speaker Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. This year’s theme, “Linguists in the Fight Tonight,” centered on critical linguist support in the Indo-Pacific region, which the U.S. Army prioritizes as the lead focus for language capabilities.
"As the Army shifts its focus to INDOPACOM, linguists remain at the forefront of our mission, enabling intelligence collection and fostering operational success in this theater,” said Maj. Gen. Timothy Brown, INSCOM commanding general. "The Indo-Pacific region demands linguistic excellence, where understanding regional dialects and cultural nuances is key to navigating its complexities and achieving strategic objectives."
The Indo-Pacific theater presents unique challenges that require both linguistic expertise and technological innovation to address effectively. Linguists play a pivotal role in bridging cultural and language barriers, enabling the Army to gather intelligence and operate with precision in a region defined by its linguistic diversity and geopolitical complexity.
At the same time, advances in technology, such as artificial intelligence and machine translation, offer promising tools to accelerate and supplement linguistic capabilities and have the potential to enhance the efficiency and scale of language translation. However, due to limitations of machine translation, linguists must continue to train and refine Large Language Models to ensure accuracy, cultural context, and operational reliability.
"Machine language translation is a powerful tool, but its true potential is unlocked when paired with human expertise,” said INSCOM Command Sgt. Maj. Anthony Rangel. "Human linguists are irreplaceable in refining AI models, validating translations, and making critical judgments that underpin high-stakes decisions in the next fight."
To learn more about U.S. Army linguist military occupational specialties, visit https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/signal-intelligence/languages-code/35m-human-intelligence-collector or https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/signal-intelligence/languages-code/35p-signals-intelligence-voice-interceptor.
Social Sharing