text: Appendix E
  ▪ Disadvantages: Category II linguists—
  o Can be a liability if they are civilians and may encounter imminent danger depending
  on the type of element they support.
  o Are probably not as good in their command for local dialects as category I linguists.
  o May have limited, if any, experience or knowledge of the local terrain or knowledge of
  the local populace.
  o Knowledge of how the various local population groups interact may not be as detailed
  or as comprehensive as that of category I linguists.
  ⚫ Category III linguists are U.S. citizens who have native command of the target language and
  native command of the English language. They undergo a screening process that includes a
  special background investigation and a polygraph. Upon favorable findings, category III linguists
  are granted an interim or final Top Secret/sensitive compartmented information clearance by the
  designated U.S. Government personnel security authority:
  ▪ Advantages: Category III linguists—
  o Have an extensive security background investigation.
  o Hold a Top Secret and/or interim Top Secret security clearance and can be used on
  missions requiring one.
  o Align their loyalties wholly or most closely with the United States than with other
  entities, groups, or organizations.
  ▪ Disadvantages: Category III linguists—
  o Language capability may be limited due to minimal family language immersion, limited
  language training, and/or limited in-country experience.
  o Normally have language proficiency that is adequate for missions, but it may not be as
  good as category I or II linguists.
  o Are probably not as good in their command for local dialects as category I or II linguists.
  o May have the least understanding or knowledge of the local terrain and populace. Their
  knowledge of how the various local population groups interact may be the least detailed
  or comprehensive.
  NON-DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TRAINED ARMY LINGUISTS
  E-24. The Army has numerous Soldiers of all grades who are proficient in a foreign language but whose
  primary duties do not require foreign language proficiency. They may have attended a civilian school to learn
  a foreign language, or they may have acquired proficiency through their heritage. They have the advantage
  of being trained Soldiers and are therefore readily deployable throughout the AO. They may qualify for a
  foreign language proficiency bonus by passing the Defense Language Proficiency Test. Nonlinguists have
  difficulties assessing the capabilities of Soldiers who have not taken the Defense Language Proficiency Test.
  Without a test score on record, the manpower and personnel staff also have difficulties identifying them as
  linguists.
  DETERMINING LANGUAGE SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS
  E-25. Determining linguist requirements for any operation can be difficult because each operation is unique.
  The staff determines linguist requirements as part of IPOE during mission analysis. It starts by identifying
  specified or implied tasks requiring foreign language support. Other critical factors are the organization or
  echelon of command and the location of the AO. The staff uses these criteria to determine the allocation of
  linguists, such as one linguist team per echelon of command, one linguist per piece of equipment, or one
  linguist team per location where the function is to be performed. The staff then determines the number of
  linguists needed for an operation based on the tasks to be performed and the allocation of linguists. Within
  this process, the staff considers the different dialects within the AO when determining language support
  requirements. (For policy on the Army foreign language program, see AR 11-6.)