Hello everyone i'm a DC3 in the Navy and i'm currently stationed in Japan. I'm trying to crossrate and my senior chief advised me to take the DLAB. so i took it and i scored a 118. i know i will be able to qualify for a Cat IV language. i wanted to know if there was any chance that i'll be able to get Japanese. i wanted to know about the barracks and the phase policy for fleet returnees. If anyone can give me any insight on some of my questions that'll be greatly appreciated.
While they do teach Japanese at DLI if you're enlisted you're not going to get it. Most people get Arabic, Farsi, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, or Korean. I saw on DLI's website that they've started teaching Somali too. Urdu, Pashto, and Hebrew are taught also, but when I was there there were only a few sailors in each.
When I was there about a year ago if you were a PO then you only had to go to muster (right before class) around twice a week. Everyone else had to go every morning. You don't have to go through the phases. It's pretty laid back compared to other 'A' schools because they realize that learning a language takes a long time and burdening you with pointless crap is going to hurt their graduation numbers.
There are 2 types of barracks, one with 2 big bathrooms on a floor that everyone uses and one where you have your own bathroom in your room shared with your room mate. When you first get there you live in the first barracks. After a while you move up to the nicer barracks a little farther away from people who can make you do stuff.
Ok i see.. i also wanted to know if you do take up Mandarin.. how likely is it that you will be going to the Middle East... and If i was to go to the middle east would i be on the front line.... and as for school is there room to put your clothes and stuff or will they provide a storage for those who have alot of stuff... Can officers get japanese? thank you both with the quick replies? and do you all like being CTI's?
I am not a CTI.. my husband however is an IWO and I know a lot of CTIs.. half LOATHE it and can't wait to get out..and the othet half love it to pieces and will never get out.
Officers will only got to DLI if their billet specfically requires it.. like my next door neighbor was a Helicopter Pilot learning German as his next duty station was in the German Navy as part of a cross cultrual thingy. so FAOs and Embassy duty for the most part.
Generally speaking.. if you want to learn Japanese.. get Rosetta stone, or get orders to Japan and take the classes on base that are offered.
I'm a former CTI, and I fall into the 'loathed it' category.
I doubt very much that a Chiling would go anywhere other than Hawaii, at least for their first tour.
Incidentally, MrsJvb, I don't think that they are offering Cantonese to any great number of students, unless of course things have changed considerably since I left the community.
Even if you get Arabic or Farsi you're going to basically have to beg to go anywhere or do anything people would consider exciting. Think corporate American and you'll be on the right track. You can get Aircrew or Subs, but most people are desk jockeys. I wouldn't worry about being on the "front lines" in Iraq or even seeing another country unless you get sent on an immersion at DLI. They send Arabic linguists to Jordan or Egypt for a month, Russian linguists can go to Ukraine, and I think Koreans can go to Korea. If you're in the Army or Marines though it's pretty common for them to send Arabic linguists to Afghanistan (not an Arabic speaking country btw). Hey, they write in squiggles too! You can understand that right?
I like being a CTI, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be staying in. When the civilians you're sitting next to make double what you make there isn't much incentive to "stay Navy". Most of them had to pay their dues in the military too though. Plus the higher up in paygrade you go the less you actually deal with the language. Chiefs are the worst linguists because they haven't used their language in years. They're in supervisory and admin positions. If you stay any longer than E-5 (maybe E-6) then you will stop doing anything with the language you were taught. That doesn't appeal to me at all, so E-5 is good enough for me.
But if I had it to do over again I would still join the military as a linguist and I would still try to get Arabic (FLPP for dialects and more job opportunities on the outside). The fact that they send you to school for 1.5 years and get you a clearance is very much worth 6 years of your life.
Ok i mean that's good to hear because that was the only thing to keep me from crossrating to CTI. Can you get stationed in Hawaii as an CTI and where would i go do you know if i was to get Chinese? Saxquiz thank you for the input it is really appreciated.. i am just trying to get more information on the rate besides everyone here telling me ," you'll be a translator" i mean i need more info than that lol... Now that i hear that i am really looking into the Language.... and if anybody is willing to share more information i'm ears all open... but i would bet that the chiefs are the worst but that's in any rate... But my Command Senior Chief told me that i'll be in Afghanistan being on the front line in combat with them... But he's an OS so it's like what does he know about that he's safe in Japan just like me so i don't think he know's too much about what's going on elsewhere i'd rather hear first hand...
As a Chinese linguist, the question is not "can I get stationed in Hawaii", the question is "can I get stationed anywhere OTHER than Hawaii". I was there 7 years too long.
OP---you will not be a 'translator'. Being a CTI means you use language skills in a Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) job. You will be IN the Navy, but in point of fact you will WORK for the National Security Agency. CTIs and their other service equivalent enlisted are not the only folks who go through DLI. There is a whole other job set (Interrogators)....and the Navy doesn't have any.....who really do 'translator' work and they follow a very different training and career path.
I just got promoted to the civilian equivalent of an O-5...if I had stayed in, I would be an E-7 at best right now. Saxquiz is quite correct that there are lots of lucrative opportunities as a civilian in the intel world, you just have to pay your dues in uniform first.
Squidling is right.. CTIs do not translate,they transcribe.. sitting on dark windowless rooms with headphones on all day long.
I don't pretend to know which languages get sent where, but you are basically looking at Kunia, Ft Gordon and Ft Meade. your language pretty much detremines which location you get.
Ok so you would say CTI would be a way to go because i'll be studying for my DC2 test for the 4th time and they want me to go to a rate that's open... So I'm really good with learning and retaining languages i'm just debating if CTI is a good choice for me..and i'm also thinking about if it would help me in the civilian world too>...
