Photo By Senior Airman Alexis Pentzer | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roland Phelps, 378th Air Expeditionary Wing Host Nation...... read more read more
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U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY – The murmur of voices fills the air as different languages are spoken all at once. His attention shifts between multiple people as he switches seamlessly between languages.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roland Phelps, 378th Air Expeditionary Wing Host Nation Coordination Cell cryptologic language analyst, bridges communication gaps between U.S. and partner nations. Phelps dedicated two years to technical training, mastering Arabic to serve as a translator for the Air Force.
Phelps, a Colorado native, joined the military inspired by his father’s four-year Army service and as a way to explore his future before committing to college. He became a cryptologic language analyst—one of his top job choices.
“I just like languages in general,” said Phelps. “I like learning about other people, how they think, and how they do things. When I was learning the language, a lot of it is almost like math, like plugging things into formulas.”
Although Phelps’s typical role involves computer-based tasks with limited face-to-face Arabic interaction, Exercise PHOENIX ARMOR gave him the unique opportunity to serve as an interpreter, facilitating communication between the U.S. Air Force and coalition partners.
“Being here is much more personable,” said Phelps. “I'm directly interpreting between two different people or to a crowd, which are skills I don’t use often. It’s been a challenge to brush up on those, but it’s a good challenge.”
During the exercise, Phelps collaborated with diverse units, including pilots, maintainers, security forces, and the fire department, ensuring seamless communication in coordinating operations.
“I don't get to interact with maintenance or fuels normally,” said Phelps. “I don’t see aircraft take off, so it’s novel to me—even though it’s routine for everyone else. Seeing their ‘normal’ is awesome.”
Working as an interpreter allows Phelps to see the immediate impact of his work on the mission. He finds fulfillment in facilitating understanding between teams and playing an active role in processes he rarely encounters at home.
“I get to see information being conveyed to both sides,” said Phelps. “It feels like I’m truly contributing to the mission by helping people who might not have understood each other. Knowing I made that happen is a great feeling.”
While the role is rewarding, Phelps acknowledges the challenges of navigating the differences in dialects. Despite two years of training in Modern Standard Arabic, the local dialects require constant learning and adaptation.
“The best part is that they don’t expect me to speak Arabic,” Phelps said. “I go up, ask how they’re doing, and they appreciate my effort to learn and improve. Being human with them is key to strengthening relations.”
Through his experiences as an interpreter, Phelps has deepened his language skills and built meaningful relationships. Looking ahead, he hopes to continue growing his abilities and exploring where his career will take him.
| Date Taken: | 12.04.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.11.2024 03:43 |
| Story ID: | 486543 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Speaking for the Mission, by SrA Alexis Pentzer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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