20 Sep 2019

Remove the Earpieces: LEAP Scholar Conquers Barriers

“I was on vacation the week prior in the Dominican Republic when my boss called and asked if I’d be able to fly to El Salvador that weekend and brief the Chief of Staff of the Air Force.” Hiding her nervous energy, 1st Lt. Lorrayne Kealty replied, “of course, no problem.”

27 Aug 2019

LEAP scholar shares his journey from humble beginnings in Korea to Air Force flight nurse

Air Force Major Michael Yim remembers his early days in the United States vividly. At just 15, his family relocated from their home in Korea to Virginia. It was a long journey that came with some harsh realities for the Korean-born teenager now living in the U.S. “I just remember getting here and thinking we looked different, we talked different, and we ate different,” Yim said. “I was made aware of my differences right away.”

12 Aug 2019

Storyteller—Life is an opportunity—don’t waste it

“Hey, your mom drank poison, and they are taking her to the hospital.” Those were the words Staff Sgt. Gopal Pudasaini, 21st Medical Operations Squadron family health clinic patient advocate, heard as he was in the middle of a school exam in a small village near Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Pudasaini started running. Sharp gravel stabbed into his bare feet, but his panic, fear and anger fueled him to run through the pain.

4 Aug 2019

Taiwan added to AFCLC’s field guide inventory

The Air Force Culture and Language Center at Air University continues to expand its Expeditionary Culture Field Guides inventory. This past month, Taiwan has been added to the center’s growing collection of field guides.

17 Jul 2019

Speaking Air Force-fully: Defining “spun up”

Let’s start with a question: What does it take to get you spun up? Do you need a tranche (another great Air Force word) of information and maybe some well written Standard Operating Procedures? Or would some frustration and aggravation do the trick of spinning you up? Your response to these questions will vary significantly, depending on whether you are in the Air Force or if you are a civilian.

1 Jul 2019

Speaking Air Force-fully

When I began working for the Air Force Culture and Language Center as a Subject Matter Expert in Culture (aka SME, pronounced like Capt Hook’s clownish pirate boatswain), I recognized that I was immersing myself in a culture that was fairly new to me – that of the United States Air Force. I quickly came to realize that there are many cultural assumptions in the Air Force that I was not aware of. Even now, years later, I am still occasionally caught off guard by a disconnect between my own cultural assumptions, and those of the larger Air Force. That’s when I learn something new about Air Force culture.

24 Jun 2019

Taking the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI): A Vital Readiness Indicator

LEAP Scholars, I want to talk to you about an important topic that deals with turning your LEAP education into a more precise measurement of military readiness—the OPI. The OPI provides data that offers planners a more refined picture of “right airman, right skill, right place, right time” when filling billets requiring LREC skills or contingencies where those skills add incredible value.

22 May 2019

AFCLC selects 149 cadets for the Language Enabled Airman Program

After a rigorous selection board process, the Air Force Culture and Language Center has selected 149 new cadets for the Language Enabled Airman Program. Participation in LEAP is voluntary and to become a LEAP scholar, Airmen must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language specified on the Air Force Strategic Language List, receive endorsement from their unit commander, and compete via a board process. Selection to LEAP is based on applicants’ existing language proficiency, potential to achieve higher levels of language proficiency, and Air Force language requirements.

2 Apr 2019

Air University and AFCLC hosted the fourth annual AU LREC Symposium

Air University’s Air Force Culture and Language Center welcomed more than 300 participants to the fourth annual Language, Regional Expertise and Culture Symposium here, from March 27 – 29. This year’s theme was “inter {culture} operability”, which was taken from the 2018 National Defense Strategy to focus on strengthening alliances and attracting new partners.

6 Mar 2019

AFCLC celebrates Women’s History Month

Historically, women have played a major role in shaping our nation’s narrative. Some women have served as vocal activists in many major movements; other women have worked quietly behind the scenes to battle oppression and injustices. This March, the Air Force Culture and Language Center celebrates all of these accomplishments for Women’s History Month. AFCLC pays homage to the wives, mothers, professors, service members, and pioneers who are making the world a better place.