I am a SSG, have 7 years in, am not in my reup window (and won't be until March '09), and am currently stationed at Ft. Meade. I am in the single-most language intensive mission-related company in the army (90-something linguists out of 110 or so people).

This is a three year tour, and I have been here a year. My command has stated in group setting in the past that they will support anyone going to any type of training that will help with your job, except DLI. So DLI has been specifically excluded.

I recently took the DLAB at the Ft. Meade Education Center and scored a 136. I'm qualified to go through any language course the Army has to offer. I want to learn Arabic (and have been doing so little by little through Rosetta Stone), but I also would like to go to Monterey and learn from people who speak the language natively. The Army is hurting for Arabic linguists.

I'm a 35N. The 35Ps HAVE to have a language for their MOS, but the 35Ns CAN have a language. It's an MOS option, but it's not required for the MOS.

Short of reclassing to 35P and having to pay back my reup bonus, or waiting until my window opens and reenlisting for DLI (which I don't think is even an option because I'm a mid-career SSG), how do I get to DLI?

Short of reclassing or reenlisting, you may be able to do it with a 4187. That's what I did to change languages, but it did require my command to approve it. Have you discussed the issue with your branch manager? Good luck!

35P-AD is correct about short of reclassing/re-enlisting you have to put in a 4187. I did this being there at the 742d at Meade as a 98C (35N) back in 2001 in conjunction with my Branch Manager. It goes addressed to him/her. Along with a copy of your DLAB results. The commander can endorse or not endorse you going to DLI however the 4187 has tio still go up to DA for final approval/disapproval and can override your CO/BN Cdr's non-endorsement on the 4187. There is specific wording that has to be on the 4187 so get with your BM and find out what that is. I have to resubmit one once my tour in Korea is done and I re-DLAB so I can go back to DLI for PF or AD but this time I will go as a WO and not an NCO.