About The Program.
The Center provides in tensive training for the U.S. military and other U.S. government personnel through a Congressionally-funded Defense Critical Language and Culture Program created through the Department of Defense and administered through the National Security Education Program. This training includes intensive on-site and on-line courses in Modern Standard Arabic and Mandarin Chinese, as well as in the strategic cultures of the Arab World, Afghanistan, Iran, and China. Our aim is to prepare military officers and civilian officials to assess the challenges of both conflict and crisis management in the Middle East. We also offer courses designed to enable students to understand modern China and to communicate with their Chinese counterparts at a time when bilateral relations are becoming increasingly complex. We offer a core group of classes (see the various program pages) that range from basic to advanced levels through a Montana-based Defense Critical Language/Culture Program. We are, however, committed to adapting the content, length, location and timing of our programs to fit the needs of military units and other US government entities that adopt our services.
In the 21st century, military strength will be measured not only by the weapons our troops carry, but by the languages they speak and the cultures they understand.
--President Barack Obama