Photo By Spc. Elaina Nieves | U.S. Army Soldiers with the 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist), 56th...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — In the spirit of competition and getting better as language professionals, Soldiers from the 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist) (341st MI BN (L)), participated in the second annual Valor Language Games at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, on Dec. 7, 2024.
“It’s a huge training event,” said Warrant Officer One Katie Word, command language program manager for the 341st MI BN (L). “The whole battalion gets to participate. You get to see people in other companies that you don't normally interact with, and soldiers have the opportunity to train in their language.”
The Valor Language Games, named after the battalion’s call sign and motto, “Vigilance and Valor,” assess soldiers' language proficiency while enhancing their skills in reading, listening, and speaking across various languages. The event also serves as preparation for the annual Polyglot Games, a language competition hosted by the Utah National Guard's 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist). Now in its second year, the Valor Language Games incorporated significant improvements to its training lanes for greater effectiveness.
“We try to give [the soldiers] a practice round before they compete in the larger event,” Word explained. “It provides a training framework focused on military vocabulary and real-world mission applications while adding merit to their participation in Utah.”
This year’s event featured four primary team-based and individual tests that combined language skills with Army proficiencies, creating a unique training experience. The lanes included voice intercept/analysis, tactical questioning, preventative maintenance checks and services (PMCS), and a final briefing on the commander's priority requirements.
“It’s still somewhat new,” said Chief Warrant Officer Two Jordan Cornwell, a signals intelligence analyst technician with the 341st MI BN (L). “For Delta Company in particular, we’ve refined the process, making it smoother and more efficient, so it’s a better experience for all participants.”
Sgt. Joseph Knight, a human intelligence collector and Russian linguist with the 341st MI BN (L), highlighted the improvements over last year’s competition.
“It’s okay to fail,” Knight said. “You have to in language training. Of course, in the real world, there are more significant consequences, but in this training environment, it’s about accepting mistakes and improving.”
In keeping with its mission of achieving target language proficiency, the 341st MI BN (L) plans to expand the event by incorporating additional target languages and new training lanes.
“There are limitless opportunities for language-enabled competitions on a broader scale,” Word said.
The Valor Language Games not only served as a rehearsal for the Utah event but also offered soldiers practical training to enhance their language skills in a competitive and mission-oriented setting. This aligns with the unit’s broader mission readiness goals. As a critical support element capable of worldwide deployments and responses to statewide natural and man-made disasters, the 341st MI BN (L) uses its intelligence expertise to address missions requiring foreign language support. By honing their skills, the battalion ensures readiness for assignments both within Washington State and beyond.
| Date Taken: | 12.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.17.2024 18:41 |
| Story ID: | 486959 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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