World Languages

Job Description:

The Navy has at its disposal an arsenal of aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, submarines and aircraft, but its most powerful asset is still the human mind. Sailors in the world languages field are an elite group who are valued for their intelligence, adaptability, foreign-language skills, and strong character. Most of their work is highly classified. Individuals in this field could learn Arabic, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, French, Korean, Vietnamese, Hebrew, Persian or another language in order to serve as Navy linguists. They specialize in the analysis of foreign communications.

What Will You Do?

As a Sailor working in the world languages field, you could serve as an interpreter for U.S. dignitaries or Navy officials negotiating critical relations with foreign powers. Or your intelligence and interpreting skills might be the key to deciphering the hostile intentions of a foreign terrorist organization. Sailors in this field must volunteer for both aircrew and submarine duty, because their skills are needed in a variety of air, surface, and subsurface platforms. Their duties involve highly sensitive material, and they must pass an intensive investigation for clearance. Some of your duties as a member of the world languages field could include:

• Operating state-of-the-art electronic radio receivers, magnetic recording devices, computers, and communications signals equipment
• Working with classified material
• Translating, transcribing, and interpreting foreign-language communications data
• Analyzing and reporting highly technical information of strategic and tactical importance to fleet commanders and national intelligence agencies
• Performing temporary duty aboard a variety of Naval surface and subsurface vessels, aircraft and shore stations

Skills and Training

Training in the world languages field is long and intensive, lasting for more than a year in some cases. Lessons consist of comprehensive foreign-language instruction and technical-skills training in individualized and group instruction.

Qualifications for the world languages field are highly demanding. For those who qualify for this field, placement is excellent. Applicants must pass a full background investigation for admission into this field.

Earn College Credits

The world languages community provides opportunities for advanced training in foreign languages. In addition, most of the training in this field translates into credit hours at the bachelor’s and associate’s degree level in the area of foreign languages and written and oral communications skills.

Career Outlook

Individuals with foreign-language skills are highly desirable to the Navy as well as to employers in the civilian sector. A second language not only provides you with communication skills and knowledge of different cultures, it also makes you more well-rounded and marketable in your career with the Navy or whatever civilian career you may choose. In addition, the trustworthiness and maturity needed for this position is highly desirable to the Navy as well as civilian employers.

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