MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The Air Force Culture and Language Center documents the participation of Language Enabled Airman Program Scholars in completed online eMentor courses, Language Intensive Training Events, and other utilization needs met via Training Partnerships Requests. The educational investments and impact of LEAP Scholars are widely known, from exercises as vast as Air Mobility Command’s Mobility Guardian 23 to special requests such as translating a Russian memoir of combat in Ukraine.
Until recently, however, the Air Force did not have a means of collecting and tracking LEAP utilization outside of events coordinated through the AFCLC. Now, a module in the cloud-based Language Enabled Development Resource allows Airmen and Guardians to self-report recent involvement in language requirements.
A new Utilization tab allows LEAP Scholars to self-report utilization assignments, deployments, and other events in which they used their target language while on official duty, such as interpretation, translation, or key-leader engagement with a partner or ally. Clicking the Utilization tab reveals a new window with a drop-down box for the Scholar to report a new event. After clicking the “to report” button, a form pops up requesting more information about the event. Scholars with no utilization to date may also report their status.
“This new module in LEaDeR will provide our Center and key stakeholders a more comprehensive picture of language utilization across the force in support of National Security Strategy initiatives,” said Christopher Chesser, Chief, Language Division. “Aggregating information from this source with other utilization and force development data will inform program advocates, enhance reporting, and refine assessment of how we can bridge language inventory gaps and help the Department of Defense utilize each LEAP Scholar.”
Many LEAP Scholars have already located the Utilization tab while routinely updating their LEaDeR profiles and have utilized the opportunity to chart their additional support activities. Tech. Sgt. Giancarlo Cintron, a Spanish LEAP Scholar stationed at Moody AFB, recently documented his participation in exercise FORWARD TIGER via the LEaDeR tool, enabling language program managers to track the impact he made on U.S. partnerships in the Caribbean.
“Updating language utilization is crucial in providing clear communication and understanding within the Air Force Culture and Language Center,” Cintron said. “This can also provide information to the AFCLC on how we utilize lessons learned from e-Mentor and LITE courses and ensure Airmen are equipped with the latest language tools. Utilizing this new function can enhance our capabilities and strengthen our connections with others around the world.”