I'm reposting my query in the MI forum to here, hoping a career counselor can give me some info.

quote:

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?

In addition to what I asked above, if I wait until my reup window opens, do I even have the option of reenlisting for DLI? Or would I have to get an exception to policy?

I'm not sure what the policy is, but I did hear somewhere that you could reenlist for DLI as a 35N, provided you had a good enough DLAB score and it was only your FIRST reenlistment. Since I don't fall under that "first reenlistment" portion, I don't know if I even have that option.

Aside from that, I wouldn't be doing myself any favors by going to DLI as a SSG, that's a year and a half with no soldiers...

*bump*

There's actually a career counselor question nested in there, near the bottom. Any info is appreciated.

Oh, and DLI=Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA.

I am currently on active duty, Title 10, National Guard. I end my current tour in April, 2009. I am in the process of transferring to the Utah National Guard, 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist), the headquarters brigade for all National Guard linguists, for the purposes of going to DLI and Arabic. I scored 133 on my DLAB. I will go to their military intell school, and ship to DLI. They will let me keep my E-6 and I can pick my language, anything I wanted. I chose Arabic. I want to deploy and again, no problem, and probably within weeks of graduating DLI. I can volunteer with the next BCT going, if that's what I want. If you don't mind a little broken time, like whatever scheduling time it takes to get into intell school after you ETS, or there might be a few weeks between Intell and DLI, you'll get to keep your rank AND pick your language. The National Guard is the ONLY guarantee you'll ever get to go to school and the language you want. There are linguist companies in Louisiana, Utah, Massachusetts, Illinois, California and Washington state. After you get your language and MOS, deploy and go back in the regular army. Go Guard.

Thanks for the reply. I don't need the intel school, I'm actually already a 35N, Signals Intelligence Analyst. And I am in a position instructing stuff to spooks. I just want the language, because it'll help me with my active duty job stateside (as well as on deployment).

Been working on Rosetta Stone, though, and I might get a language proficency good enough from that to actually take the DLPT5, which I'd probably fail, then I could justify going to "remedial language training". Not quite as good as DLI, but still formalized.

i'm sorry to crush your dream about not having any soldiers at DLI....but i'm crushing your dream about not having any soldiers at DLI. I just finished the korean course last may (AUG 05-MAY 07), our school and company is next to that of the arabic students. in the past, careerist were placed in their own company (F. Co). then, some high-speed douche NCO decided to complain about not having any soldiers to practice "leader" on (as if the mandatory night owl study halls and 2-3 hrs of homework weren't enough); so, i don't know exactly when this started prior to my move there, but E-6 and below are augmented into the companies with the IETers in their appropriate language companies. that means that in the mornings at about 5am (or sometimes after school) you will do PT (w/the IETers), go to class from 7:55 to 15:30 (if you are the highest ranking you WILL be class leader), sometimes there is training after school (WT&D, CTT, etc)--you're teaching it {PSGs will supervise you, of course}, commander's cup is once a month after class(mandatory attendance for a male/female race btwn the branches), you gotta grade PT tests when the soldiers have them, and you gotta do counselings for your squad members (IETers). oh, i forgot to mention the squad leader meetings in the mornings and sometimes during lunch, the formations, the post details (sometimes), and the ranges (held on Saturdays--whether YOU have to qual or not, you being an NCO automatically ensures attendance...sux if you got a family). plus, don't forget to do your homework (could be 2+ hours every night depending on how well you study on your own). quizes are given on a daily basis, and tests once or twice a month. night study hall (1830-2030 T/Th) and lunch study hall (1055-1125 everyday) are mandatory for the first 8 weeks. if you pass your first unit test than you are free from this. grades between B- to C+ and you have the lunch S.H. everyday and night S.H. once a week. C and below and night S.H. is twice a week. this applies if you get this grade on either your reading or listening test (speaking and writing test is exempt from this). you WILL also get counseling for failing the test. if you are asking me "what do the PSGs do?", notice that i did not type what it is that they do in this paragraph.....that is what they do (barely nothing) since cadre is understaffed.

on a good note....graduating from DLI is a very rewarding accomplishment. i think that this is one of the most difficult academic military schools (especially if you have a family). My friend you are sadly mistaken if you think you will escape your leadership responsibilities at DLI. E-4's are rarely considered for squad leader positions.....did i mention you also do CQ there?....sorry i forgot about that. E-4's cannot do that, either (only duty driver).

This school has chewed up and spit out plenty of NCOs who juggle massive amounts of responsibilities there but the school is great; get it if you can....you will not be sorry. email me if you have any ?'s about DLI (it's all still fresh in my mind)

It wasn't a dream so much as a noted drawback. Since you have confirmed the opposite, then there are no drawbacks speaking in terms of career. Thanks for your post...I'll see if I can get it as a reup option when my window opens.