COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Three men, battle-seasoned Army officers but dressed in civilian clothes, watch as their tutor writes Arabic script across the board.
“You want to say ’Turn left,’” says Phillip Herlein. All three men reply: “Liff yasaar. Liff yasaar. Liff yasaar.”
The officers — on track to lead troops again, most likely in the Middle East — are part of a pilot program that is sending 21 Army officers to graduate school to learn about foreign cultures, business practices and languages, such as Arabic.
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The Army wants its leaders armed with solid skills to help them navigate road signs, engineering plans and simple conversations.
“We’re trying to develop officers to be strategic thinkers and creative managers … who are culturally aware and have some language capability,” says Col. Mark Patterson, who’s in charge of policy for developing the Army officer corps.
The Army’s experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq have shown it needs people who are able to work in foreign languages and cultures as well as be combat-oriented, said one of the students, Maj. David Hibner.
Previously, it was common for the service to pass over officers with international specialties and instead promote on the basis of combat experience, Maj. Hibner said.
The three officers at the University of South Carolina are enrolled at the Moore School of Business, which boasts one of the country’s best international business graduate programs. They will spend two years in the classroom and five months in language training overseas to earn their master’s degrees.
Maj. Hibner, a 32-year-old combat engineer from Michigan City, Ind., said the program offers a chance to learn from fellow students, as well their professors. The faculty, staff and 106 students in the class represent 75 countries including Moldova, Turkey, India and China.
Studying alongside Maj. Hibner are Maj. Levi Dunton, a 32-year-old Apache helicopter pilot from Chewelah, Wash., and Capt. George Walter, 31, a combat engineer from Edisto Island, S.C.
Their courses, which began in July, include global business issues and practices, and international management. The Army is footing the bill.
All three officers said the classes will bolster their abilities to serve in any country, but particularly in the Arabic-speaking world.
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