Congratulations to the National Language Service Corps on becoming authorized as a permanent program

The President of the United States signed the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, which establishes the National Language Service Corps (NLSC) as a permanent organization.  Prior to this change in status, the NLSC functioned as a pilot and later as an operational program. Although resident in the Department of Defense, the NLSC is positioned to support any federal agency facing gaps in foreign language support.  

According to Dr. Michael Nugent of the Defense Language National Security Education Office (DLNSEO), the transition of the NLSC to a permanent language resource to federal agencies is “one of the largest innovations in the federal sector.” Since 2007 agencies, domestic and abroad, have sought the NLSC as a language resource including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Peace Corps, the Department of Labor, and Interpol.  With a membership exceeding 4,000 volunteers who are fluent in English and one or more foreign languages, the NLSC stands ready to provide language and cultural knowledge spanning more than 260 languages when needed. This organization continues to grow based on recruitment strategies to better serve the NLSC’s clientele.