AFCLC to host first AU LREC Symposium

Published Feb. 10, 2016
By By Brandon M. Bridges
Air Force Culture and Language Center

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The Air Force Culture and Language Center hosts its first Air University Language, Regional Expertise and Culture Symposium, April 21-22.

This event will offer Air University students, faculty and staff a unique forum in which to engage in an open dialogue about intercultural experiences and present academic research concerning LREC in the military.

"This is an exciting event for all of us, not just at AFCLC but for AU," said Dr. Patricia Fogarty, assistant professor of Cross-Cultural Relations at the AFCLC, who serves as event co-organizer alongside Defense Language Institute faculty member Dr. Sandra Schoder. "Faculty from AFCLC has attended events like this at a number of different places in this country and others, and it's always a rich and rewarding experience. We're thrilled to be able to offer something like this closer to home."

Serving as keynote speaker will be Dr. Mark J. Conversino, professor of Strategy and Security Studies at the Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. Conversino previously served as dean, Air War College, earning the Air Force Award for Meritorious Civilian Service, after retiring from active duty with the Air Force.

As part of his duties with SAASS, Conversino currently offers courses on Russia, Ukraine and Central Asia as part of the AWC's Regional and Cultural Studies Program.

"While I was on active duty in the Air Force, I traveled across the U.S, Europe and Asia and served in Saudi Arabia for a time, as well," said Conversino. "My book, Fighting with the Soviets: The Failure of Operation FRANTIC, is as much a study of the clash of American and Soviet cultures as it is an examination of joint U.S.-Soviet air operations from bases in what was then Soviet Ukraine. Last year, it was finally published in Ukrainian. So, my interest in world affairs goes back a long way, and I'm thrilled to have been invited to share that interest at this symposium. Hopefully, this will be the first of many language and culture symposium we have here at AU."

The symposium will highlight three of the many ways that the AFCLC guides culture and language learning in the Air Force.

First, AFCLC impacts learning through direct instruction by its faculty and the faculty from the Defense Language Institute at the graduate level in Air Force educational institutions, such as Air Command and Staff College and AWC.

Second, the center supports culture curriculum development at every level of Air Force professional military education.

"Working with the PME system is an important part of our day-to-day mission," said Fogarty. "Just here at Maxwell, we've worked with the Eaker Center, Community College of the Air Force, Holm Center and the Barnes Center quite a bit. Through them, we've provided direct and indirect support for different LREC learning opportunities across the Air Force."

Third, through the Language Enabled Airman Program, which selects officers and enlisted Airmen from all Air Force specialty codes to sustain, enhance and utilize their existing language skills, as well as to broaden cultural experiences and knowledge.

The AU LREC Symposium will begin with an open house on the evening of April 21, introducing the work of the AFCLC and its partnership with the Defense Language Institute in support of AU. The second day will consist of individual paper sessions for experts and PME students, presentations on the integration of culture and language curriculum at AU, panel discussions on regional cultural issues and demonstrations of culture and language expertise by LEAP participants.

The intent, according to Fogarty, is that the symposium will provide participants with the time and space to engage in cultural dialogue and demonstrate the deep connections between language, regional expertise and culture.

Anyone interested in attending or submitting a proposal, which are due March 1, for the AU LREC Symposium should visit the AFCLC's public web site for full details, including a full schedule and guidelines for submissions, at http://culture.af.mil/lrec_symposium.aspx. Questions should be sent to af.clc@us.af.mil.