By Senior Airman Michael Bowman, 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas —
Col. James A. Kievit, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center commandant, visited Goodfellow to discuss the continuation of training for cryptologic linguists taking place throughout the 17th Training Wing, July 12.
Kievit began his visit at the Norma Brown building to meet with 17th Training Wing leadership to discuss the current status of cryptologic language training throughout the wing. The commandant reinforced the importance of continuing student language studies as they begin learning the fundamentals of intelligence and analysis.
Tactical Signals Intelligence Exercise supervisor Brian LeMaster, 344th Military Intelligence Battalion, briefs U.S. Army Col. James A. Kievit, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center commandant, during a tour of Forward Operating Base Sentinel, Goodfellow AFB, Texas, July 12, 2022. FOB Sentinel is used during the 344th MI BN capstone exercise, where soldiers use their training in a simulated combat environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael Bowman)
Kievit was also able to tour the 316th Training Squadron schoolhouse to gain deeper insight into what linguist students experience day to day in the classroom.
“As partners in cryptologic language analyst training, it is important for Col. Kievit to understand what occurs after his students graduate from Presidio of Monterey,” explained Master Sergeant Andrew Claremont, 316th TRS section chief. “This visit allows Col. Kievit to see, first-hand, the training being conducted at the 316th TRS and to engage with the instructors, training managers, and other key partners in the CLA training pipeline.”
Tactical signals intelligence exercise supervisor Brian LeMaster, 344th Military Intelligence Battalion, showcases various locations to U.S. Army Col. James A. Kievit, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center commandant, during a tour of Forward Operating Base Sentinel, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 12, 2022. FOB Sentinel is used during the 344th MI BN capstone exercise, a weeklong training that allows Soldiers to use all of the skills they have learned during training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael Bowman)
The commandant also visited with Soldiers assigned to the 344th Military Intelligence Battalion to understand their role within Army Training and Doctrine Command. The 344th MI BN took Col. Kievit to Forward Operating Base Sentinel, the training area utilized by Army students when conducting their capstone training.
Kievit was impressed by the capabilities of the students, and recognized much of their success is due to the hard work of the instructors and cadre.
“Our cadre and instructors are the backbone of TRADOC,” said Kievit. “Without them, our Soldiers would be woefully unprepared when the time comes for them to work in the operational environment.”
