July 7, 2009, Arlington, VA -- The National Language Service Corps (NLSC) successfully completed its first international assignment in support of the U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) by participating in Garuda Shield ’09, an international peacekeeping training exercise in Indonesia. The NLSC sent three Indonesian-speaking members to work with Pacific Command in order to facilitate communication between Americans and their hosts. During Garuda Shield, NLSC Members helped build a baby care clinic and sanitation facility in Bandung, assisted in field training exercises for peacekeeping missions, and participated in Command-Post exercises coordinating the entire operation.
The Army asked the NLSC to participate in the exercise, recognizing that involving Americans who speak Indonesian would help on-site commanders and soldiers to establish trust and build relationships. The assignment was a great success for both the NLSC and U.S. Pacific Command. The NLSC Members provided not only interpreting services, but also valuable cultural insights that helped the Army understand the culture and social climate of local communities in Indonesia. In turn, the NLSC learned valuable lessons about the challenges of conducting overseas assignments. This experience will help the NLSC tremendously as it plans and executes future overseas assignments.
Densy Chandra, one of the three NLSC Indonesian-speaking Members, commented that the idea of participating in an assignment seemed like a far-off possibility, until she was actually called to Indonesia. When asked, however, she promptly responded, “Whatever you need me to do, I am ready.” Shanti Wijaya and Harry Pangastu, the other NLSC Member participants, expressed the same willingness to go to Indonesia and entrenched themselves in the NLSC volunteer experience by bridging the gap between the Indonesian community and the American presence there. The unique, language-oriented approach to Garuda Shield was one of two assignments that NLSC Members undertook and helped to set a precedent that encourages long-lasting relationships in the Indonesian region. In a time of great need throughout the developing world, it is exciting that NLSC has undertaken the mission of utilizing American citizens’ language skills in order to assist multiple communities.
About the National Language Service Corps
The NLSC is a group of multilingual individuals that make themselves available to serve their country in the event of a sudden need for their language skills. They are united by the fundamental belief that language has a tremendous impact on who we are; who we can be; and what we can do together. In addition to making a significant and worthwhile contribution to the nation and its language communities, Members become part of a unique language network of service-minded individuals. All Members currently must be U.S. Citizens who are at least 18 years or older, possess language expertise and have a genuine desire to help their fellow language communities. Additional information about the National Language Service Corps is available at nlscorps.org.
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