The U.S. Marine Corps has stipulated that at least one Arabic speaker be included in in every unit deployed in Iraq.
Officials said each infantry squadron would include at least
one
member who speaks Arabic.
The Marines have launched intensive Arabic language training at their
base in Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. Officials said the
demand for Arabic language instruction among the Marines has been high, Middle East Newsline reported. In
February 2005, the Marines launched a major deployment in Iraq.
Maj. Gen. Stephen Johnson, commander of Marine Expeditionary Forces, has
aimed for each infantry squadron to contain an Arabic speaker, officials
said. The officials did not provide a deadline for achieving this goal.
So far, more than 260 Marines have enrolled in 20-day Arabic language
courses in a college near Camp LeJeune. The course aims to teach the Marines
basic grammar, military vocabulary and conversational Arabic. The course
also provides 26 compact disks of Arabic instruction.
The Marines want to reduce dependency on interpreters, officials said.
The corps has also sought to acquire Arabic skills to conduct searches and
deal with Iraqis at roadblocks.
