MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- “I am Staff Sergeant Giancarlo Cintron, and I am an Aircraft Hydraulics Systems Regional Training Center Instructor at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
I grew up learning Spanish in my household, school, and reading books and texts from Spain and Colombia. When I joined the Language Enabled Airman Program, it gave me a great sense of pride to serve the Air Force in a different way while being able to utilize my Spanish speaking abilities.
Since I joined LEAP, I have participated in the eMentor online language course, where I was able to broaden my language skills through reading and writing in a more technical and professional environment. After I completed the eMentor course, I was selected to attend a Language Intensive Training Event in Montevideo, Uruguay, where I learned a different Spanish dialect. In the region of Uruguay and the northern part of Argentina, they speak Rioplatense Spanish, which is very different from the Caribbean Spanish or European Spanish that I grew up learning. During my time in Uruguay, I learned about the culture, history, politics, and dialect variations from the Rioplatense region. Since I completed the eMentor and the LITE, I noticed that my language skills improved immensely.
LEAP is important to me because it motivates cross-cultural development and language skills necessary to strengthen partnerships around the world. We have forces based outside the United States, and it is important we adapt to the culture of the host country. To build strong partnerships, we have to embed ourselves through the culture and embrace the language of the host nation and partners. LEAP has helped me excel and sharpen my skills so that I can continue to serve the Air Force when the opportunity arises, either to serve as a Defense Attaché for the SOUTHCOM region or to serve as an interpreter or translator when and where needed. In the end, my future goal is to continue to help build strong partnerships that are important to accomplish the mission and create a multicultural force.”
-LEAP Scholar SSgt Giancarlo Cintron-