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How Do I Become an Air Force Linguist?

YaShekia King
YaShekia King

Air Force linguists are professionals who translate communications that arrive in the form of foreign languages in an effort to help the military to achieve its mission-oriented goals. These people participate in confidential operations and thus cannot share the details of their work with others. An individual who would like to become an Air Force linguist has to complete high school-level training as well as some college. He or she additionally has to complete military basic training requirements, including specific military tests to determine if he or she is eligible to train for this career, after which the professional must undergo specialized technical training to be successful in this industry.

If you wish to become an Air Force linguist, you first need to have a high school diploma or the equivalent certification, as this is necessary to enter the military. In addition, the Air Force requires that you have completed several college credits. To complete post-secondary education courses, you must submit proof of having completed high school-level training to the institution of your choice. You also should be ready to turn in your current standardized test scores and high school transcript to the college. The admission team additionally will request that you fill out the school’s enrollment application.

Man holding a globe
Man holding a globe

Each country has its own testing requirements in order to train for specific positions in the military. After earning college credits, applicants in the US need to be prepared take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, or ASVAB, which will determine if you are able to prepare to be an Air Force linguist. If approved, basic military training is the next step, which typically lasts a couple of months. This type of training is used to determine whether you are physically and psychologically capable of handling a career in the military. Your training covers topics such as fitness along with combat defense positions and leadership skills as you strive to become an Air Force linguist.

Once you prove that you can handle working in the military, you have to study specialized industry information. For example, your defense language institute curricula should cover the particular language that the Air Force wants you to master. During a program designed for someone who plans to become an Air Force linguist, you need to practice translating and reporting on foreign communications. You have to be open to traveling to various parts of the world to complete this job.

A variety of other technical skills constitute a training program in this career area. You should study how to help with planning military missions as well as using industry equipment such as voice communication technologies properly, as you must handle these tasks when you become an Air Force linguist. Also, you need to sharpen your skills with interpreting communication signals, so being detail-oriented is critical during your military educational program.

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