By Patrick Bray
DLIFLC Public Affairs
Lt. Gen. Robert P. Otto (right), U.S. Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, speaks with the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center assistant commandant, Col. Keith L. Logeman (center), Sept. 8 as Command Sgt. Maj. Matildo Coppi looks on. Otto visited DLIFLC for the first time since 2012. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)
MONTEREY, Calif. – The U.S. Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Lt. Gen. Robert P. Otto, returned to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Sept. 8 in his first visit since 2012.
Otto was accompanied by Theresa Sanchez, the deputy senior language authority for the U.S. Air Force. They discussed some of the challenges of language training with DLIFLC academic leaders, asking questions about how to recruit and retain the best qualified teachers and ways to increase student proficiency in the future.
Otto and Sanchez observed language training at DLIFLC’s Middle East School III and interacted with students studying Arabic.
“This is the first time I got to jump into a language classroom and see how all of this works. I am very impressed by all you are able to accomplish,” said Otto to the students.
Lt. Gen. Robert P. Otto, U.S. Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, observes Arabic students studying at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center’s Middle East School III Sept. 8. Otto visited DLIFLC for the first time since 2012. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)
“I can tell you, we need you,” he continued. “There will be exciting things ahead for you in your careers as linguists.”
Otto also thanked the teachers and the support staff for their efforts.
DLIFLC is regarded as one of the finest schools for foreign language instruction in the world. The institute provides resident instruction in 23 languages to approximately 3,500 military service members, five days a week, seven hours per day, with two to three hours of homework each night. Generally, students spend between 26 and 64 weeks at the Presidio, depending on the difficulty of the language.
