It wasn’t what I initially hoped for, but, I was called to serve our nation and I answered that call,” Yim said. Soon after Yim enlisted, he said learned he was actually on a different track. Yim met with a recruiter who he said promised him that he would be a linguist in the Air Force too. I was intrigued and met with a recruiter shortly after.” I remember talking to a friend who was telling me about his life as a Korean linguist in the United States Air Force. “My parents didn’t have a lot of money and I was literally living off “Spam and rice” and making pizza after school in those days. “I quickly realized how expensive college was,” Yim said. This time, he traveled to Boston to pursue his undergraduate degree where he faced a new challenge: the cost of college tuition. After graduating from high school Yim moved again. The feeling of instant culture shock was one that stuck with Yim, as well as motivated him to find his place in America. “I was made aware of my differences right away.” “I just remember getting here and thinking we looked different, we talked different, and we ate different,” Yim said. It was a long journey that came with some harsh realities for the Korean-born teenager now living in the U.S. At just 15, his family relocated from their home in Korea to Virginia. 'I would certainly be open to going back to Monterey to do the Advanced Korean course or the Basic course in a new language if I got the chance,' Lenz said.By Jasmine Bourgeois, AFCLC Outreach TeamĪir Force Major Michael Yim remembers his early days in the United States vividly. For instance, Lenz estimates that there are only between five and 10 35Ps, covering various languages, in each of the three SBCTs stationed at JBLM and a couple more in 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) and the 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BFSB). Linguists are a limited breed in the Army. 'Plus I think any job in the military makes you attractive to civilian employers.' 'However, having a clearance at the end of a military career can get your foot in the door for further government or intelligence work,' he said. The 35P Soldiers just tend be a little older or already have Bachelor's degrees and prior work experience.'įor many, a career that involves language can perhaps make the eventual transition to civilian work easier, though Lenz is quick to point out that with so many Korean-Americans fluent in both languages, the competition is tough. 'Not to put down the Soldiers in combat arms, as they have a much more physically demanding job than we do and are exposed to far greater dangers while deployed. 'I think this MOS requires a lot of patience and commitment because of the amount of schooling involved and maybe attracts a more cerebral kind of Soldier,' Lenz explained.

The certification also translates to eligibility for a $400 per month bonus, as long as he does well on the test. But he has continued to take refresher courses as well as the annual Defense Language Proficiency Test, which upholds his language certification. Since being at JBLM, he hasn't been able to use his Korean as much. He also got to attend a semester at a university in Seoul to further his knowledge of the language.įor more than five years, Lenz has been assigned to D troop, 1-14 Cavalry, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. While there, he worked with Korean Soldiers, civilians and augmentees to the Army.

Lenz has completed two tours in Korea, from 2001 to 20 to 2006. Since then, it has changed to 35P (KP), Cryptolinguist (Korean). This meant that his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was 98G (KP), Voice Interceptor (Korean). Then, when he began basic training, Lenz decided that a job with languages sounded interesting, so he pursued a 63-week Korean language course at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, Calif., followed by a 20-week course at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas. In college, the Oregon native majored in French he also had the chance to study abroad in France for two and a half years.

1st Class Reuben Lenz, who has been in the Army since 1999, is one of those individuals who don't struggle when faced with speaking in new tongues. Do you have an instinct when it comes to foreign languages? They say that some people just do, while others can barely master 'hello' in German after living there for six months (yes, that was me).

Korean linguist in air force