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Enhancing Interpreter Support for Military Operations: Insights and Best Practices

This presentation addresses the critical role of interpreters in military operations, highlighting misconceptions about interpreting and emphasizing the importance of qualified personnel. It outlines the challenges in recruiting and deploying interpreters, discusses findings from the international workshop held in Ede, Netherlands, and identifies pathways for improving linguistic support. Participants will explore best practices for interpreter management, multinational collaboration, and the development of NATO guidance. The presentation serves as a call to action for establishing a robust framework for interpreter support in military contexts.

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Enhancing Interpreter Support for Military Operations: Insights and Best Practices

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  1. INTERPRETER SUPPORT forMILITARY OPERATIONS Gerard Seinhorst Foreign Language Centre Royal Netherlands Army

  2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE • Background – the nature of the problem • Workshop • Aim • Participants • Topics • Outcomes • The way ahead • a role for BILC?

  3. BACKGROUND • Interpreters MISSION ESSENTIAL

  4. BACKGROUND • Interpreters FORCE MULTIPLIER

  5. ANOTHER VIEW ON INTERPRETERS Interpreters are at worst a nuisance and at best a necessary evil

  6. MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT INTERPRETING • Anyone who speaks a foreign language can be an interpreter • Interpreting is easy • Interpreters don't need to understand what they are interpreting • Interpreters can be hired and deployed instantly

  7. THE TRUTH… • A professional interpreter is • bilingual • bicultural • accurate • impartial / unbiased • reliable / discrete • educated • experienced / knowledgeable • respected • available • compatible • physically and mentally fit

  8. THE TRUTH…

  9. THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM • How to find the right number of interpreters with the right qualifications in the right time? • Needs assessment • Recruitment, training, testing • Quality control • Tracking, registration, deployment

  10. INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP • “Interpreter Support for Military Operations” • Ede, • The Netherlands • 24-25 April, 2007 • 14 participants from • Denmark • Germany • Norway • UK • Netherlands • NATO: Linguistic services SHAPE, SFOR, CC-Land HQ Heidelberg

  11. AIM OF THE WORKSHOP • To address issues concerning foreign language support during military operations • exchange experiences and knowledge • identify best practices in interpreter support • detect possible fields for multinational collaboration

  12. DISCUSSION TOPICS • Defining qualifications for interpreters in the military • Management of interpreter support • International co-operation in providing interpreter support

  13. OUTCOMES • Scope • “Linguistic Support” in general • Regular Follow-up Meetings • Separate MN Workshops? • BILC Permanent WG? • NATO Guidance • Allied Joint Publication ‘Linguistic Support for Multinational Operations’

  14. ALLIED JOINT PUBLICATION 1. Planning & Preparation • Short and long term capabilities • Mapping (existing capabilities) • National and NATO OPR for linguistic matters • Coordination and cooperation among nations (through permanent NATO cell?) • Advance preparations • Phasing and redeployment • Timeliness

  15. ALLIED JOINT PUBLICATION 2. Organization and Manning • Command & Control • Structure • Manpower (categories, functions, grades) • Job descriptions • Assessment and evaluation

  16. ALLIED JOINT PUBLICATION 3. Recruitment and Training (1) • Categories of linguistic personnel (military, civilian, locally employed civilians) • Qualifications • Language skill levels • Translation/interpretation skill levels • Native speaker / non-native linguist • Locally employed civilians • Age, gender, ethnic background • Contracting

  17. ALLIED JOINT PUBLICATION 3. Recruitment and Training (2) • Security clearance • Personal security • Training (language, techniques, ethics, military) • Testing (linguistic, medical, psychological) • Training of users of linguistic services

  18. ALLIED JOINT PUBLICATION 4. Operations • Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) • Users’ requirements • Support for linguistic services • Expectation management • limitations of linguists • limitations of technology (e.g. translation software)

  19. THE WAY AHEAD Allied Joint Operations Doctrine WG AJOD WG Meeting – September 2007 Panel • production of the AJP • permanent forum for Linguistic Support issues • link to BILC

  20. AJOD WG PANEL Temporary Point of Contact Mr. Ian Jones Head Linguistic Services SHAPE Tel. 0032-65-44 4733 E-mail: ian.jones@shape.nato.int

  21. ONE MORE MISCONCEPTION • Interpreters are expected to translate literally what is being said • But that should not be taken too literally…

  22. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

  23. QUESTIONS?

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