WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has launched an effort to recruit
thousands of translators to facilitate training of Iraqi security forces.
The army has awarded a contract for management of translation and
interpretation services in Iraq to Global Linguistic Solutions. GLS, a joint
venture of DynCorp International and McNeil Technologies, has
received a five-year contract, with a maximum value of $4.645 billion.
"The ability to communicate effectively with the Iraqi people is critical
to a successful outcome in Iraq, and we are very aware of the trust that has
been placed in us," DynCorp chief executive officer Herbert Lanese said.
Dyncorp bested L-3 Communications for the army contract. In 2005, L-3
acquired Titan Corp. a leading supplier of linguists to the U.S. Army
Intelligence and Security Command, or ISC, Middle East Newsline reported.
The GLS contract, awarded by ISC, would begin in March 2007. Under the
award, GLS would provide foreign-language interpretation and translation
services to the army and other U.S. government agencies in Iraq.
Executives said this would include supplying translators for embedding
with U.S. forces. They said GLS would employ up to 6,000 Iraqi translators
and up to 1,000 U.S. citizens. The Americans, with native ability to speak
the Iraqi dialect, would acquire security clearances.
DI has recruited 2,500 employees, including linguists, in Iraq.
Executives said McNeil would focus on acquiring linguists. The president of
GLS, [Ret.] Maj. Gen. James Marks, was responsible for the Iraq Language
Program in 2003 as the chief of intelligence for the Coalition Forces Land
Component Command.
