Employment Spot

Job Description

As a Sailor working in the World Languages field, you could serve as an interpreter for U.S. dignitaries or Navy officials negotiating critical relations with foreign powers. Or your intelligence and interpreting skills might be the key to deciphering the hostile intentions of a foreign terrorist organization. Sailors in this field must volunteer for both aircrew and submarine duty, because their skills are needed in a variety of air, surface and subsurface platforms. Their duties involve highly sensitive material, and they must pass an investigation for top-secret clearance. Some of your duties as a member of the World Languages field could include:

• Operating state-of-the-art electronic radio receivers, magnetic recording devices, computers and communications signals equipment
• Working with classified material
• Translating, transcribing and interpreting foreign language communications data
• Analyzing and reporting highly technical information of strategic and tactical importance to fleet commanders and national intelligence agencies
• Performing temporary duty aboard a variety of naval surface and subsurface vessels and aircraft

Job Requirements

Training in the World Languages field is long and intensive, lasting for more than a year in some cases. Lessons consist of comprehensive foreign language instruction and technical skills training in individualized and group instruction. As part of the World Languages field, you could earn the following Department of Labor certifications:

• Interpreter
• Translator