MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- At the heart of the latest National Defense Strategy lies a critical mandate to increase burden sharing with allies and partners. For Air University’s Air Force Culture and Language Center (AFCLC), this directive isn’t just a policy, it is their fundamental operational purpose.
Through its specialized programs, most notably the Language Enabled Airman Program (LEAP), the AFCLC develops the critical language regional expertise, and culture (LREC) skills necessary for U.S. forces to integrate seamlessly with global coalition partners. The constant, high demand for LEAP Scholars during international exercises underscores their direct impact on the mission. By building trust and enhancing interoperability, these scholars enable allied nations to successfully shoulder a greater portion of the collective security burden, strengthening joint force effectiveness in war.
One of the most effective ways LEAP Scholars elevate partner nations is by embedding with Mobile Training Team (MTT) missions worldwide.
Recently, French LEAP Scholar Tech Sgt. Messan Atayi, NCOIC of the Directorate of Operations for the 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., deployed on a critical MTT to Djibouti.
“This Language Intensive Training Event (LITE) strengthened interoperability by ensuring Djiboutian forces can maintain and operate Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets effectively,” Atayi said. “Djiboutian forces have been eager to effectively boost their ISR and maintenance capabilities to respond to threats from violent extremist organizations. By fostering professional partnerships, Djiboutian forces can sharpen their tactical capabilities to counter regional threats and secure strategic access, directly advancing U.S. national security objectives and stability within the AFRICOM theater.”
The strategic impact of LEAP extends across domains and geographic commands. U.S. Space Force Capt. Tia Scoggan recently completed an airfield operations and resiliency MTT in Indonesia, a mission specifically designed to increase the host nation’s defense capacity and operational independence.
“The USAF Air Advisors led the successful construction of a highline dock and provided specialized training on emergency airfield lighting systems (EALS) and mobile aircraft arresting systems (MAAS),” Scoggan said. “Through collaboration and innovation, and rigorous training, the teams enhanced Indonesian airfield capabilities and emergency preparedness, contributing to the overall mission of supporting aviation safety and efficiency in the INDOPACOM AOR in support of U.S. national security objectives.”
The success of the National Defense Strategy relies on the ability of U.S. forces to not just work alongside allies, but to integrate with them seamlessly. For the AFCLC, that integration is built through the reps and sets of training. AFCLC Director Howard Ward notes that this deliberate development is central to achieving the pillars of the NDS and maximizing the collective combat power of the joint force.
“Increased burden sharing is a specified task of the NDS,” Ward said. “Implied is that the burden be shared credibly; it must be this way, or we will never realize the desired impact of force multiplication. Airmen skilled in languages and cultures with deliberate development to “speak Air Force” in the target language are central to achieving this important pillar of the NDS. Training to a common standard, reps and sets in exercises to gain speed and proficiency, all turn aspiration into credible combat capability. Without robust language and culture skills, we assume risk and accept slower tempo because we haven’t achieved common standards. Tactically, language + culture = speed.”