2010 Paulatim Magazine - RAAMC Association

Watch your language
One of the challenges within any ADF operation is communication.
Also consider that in Australia there are approximately 22 million
people speaking almost 400 languages. 1 Irrelevant of the area of
where the operation is being conducted, soldiers need to communicate
with others around them. Languages Other Than English (LOTE) can
lead to participation with the people in the surrounding environment
and an increase in information access whilst on deployment.
The ADF is communicating with the “Net Generation”. Numerous articles
have been written on this topic and this generation’s interaction with the
ADF including mentoring of junior leaders. 2 Junior leaders (ranks of
LCPL/CPL and LT/CAPT) normally interact with many subordinates on a
daily basis. These leaders are in the position to potentially recognize
and actively encourage their subordinates to attempt LOTE training or
testing. These junior leaders will also be able to use LOTE trained
members to enhance their communication on deployments and in the
battlefield.
Junior commanders can use a skilled LOTE member to provide basic
introductory phrases to the rest of the sub unit. The basic salutations
(hello/goodbye/Mr/Mrs/Miss) and expressions/phrases (thank
you/please/ouch/stop) can start communication with a stranger who
may be a patient, enemy, POW or potential informant. Consider if one
unit LOTE trained member was to teach a phrase per week to your
unit/subunit. I suggest that by the end of the year your personnel could
potentially be able to appropriately use all the common basic salutation
phrases of the target language. Empowering and then demanding the
junior leader to develop LOTE at the lowest team level within the sub
unit will ensure future capability for the future potential roles. 3
Language capability is an all corps responsibility and therefore
commanders at all levels should be actively forward planning and
participating in long term strategies to grow these capabilities. 4
It appears individual units staff must struggle against competing
training and unit needs in order to participate in LOTE training.
There is little awareness of the need to develop LOTE capability within
the ADF, a necessity born from our geographic position.
ADF health professionals have a reputation confirmed by the number of
awards over the past few decades in many theatres, operations and
within different roles. The requirements of ADF health professionals
over the past few decades have been complex and future requirements
require further planning, discussion and doctrine. 5 As our strategic
reach, reputation and countries we work in vary all staff should plan
and encourage LOTE growth and training for future potential
operations. LOTE training within the ADF is well organised and available
in many forms. The training has many benefits for the unit and has
financial benefits for the individual. This training is publicised and
available to all ranks.
Soldiers will have a continuing requirement in future operations for
LOTE skills. The unit or sub-unit that has these internal skills will more
effectively communicate with the deployed social environment. This will
lead to more effective participation within that environment and
gathering of information from it which can lead to better efficiency and
patient health during operations.
WO2 Josh McDade is currently a career manager at SCMA. His
operational and overseas experiences include Rifle Coy Butterworth,
1st Guards (Singapore), OP BEL ISI II, OP WARDEN/STABALISE, OP
GOLD, OP TANAGER, High Density and Altitude Training (PNG) and OP
CITADEL. His Force preparation experience includes for all of the above
as well as UNAMIR, OP SCRUMMAGE, OP MAZURKA, OP FALCONER, OP
BASTILLE, OP SLIPPER and many more. He has communicated (in their
mother tongue) with natives of Malaysia, Indonesia, PNG and
Bougainville whilst deployed overseas. WO2 McDade’s awards include
AASM, ASM, ADM, DLSM, UN medal, MUC and Commander Training
Command – Army Commendation.
References
1
Year Book 2009-2010, Australian Bureau of Statistics
By: WO2 Josh McDade
2
Lt Col Dan Fortune, Commanding the Net Generation, Australian Army Journal, Volume 1,
Number 2
4
D Ashley, Adaptive campaigning and the need to empower our junior leaders to deliver the ‘I’m
an Australian soldier’ initiative, Australian Army Journal, Volume 6, Number 3
5
Harry Baxter, Challenging times, Defence Magazine, May 2006
6
SJ Neuhaus, NI Klinge, RM Mallet and DHM Saul, Adaptive Campaigning – Implications for
Operational Health Support, Australian Army Journal, Volume 5, Number 3
8 6 P A U L AT I M – M A GAZINE O F T HE R OYA L A U S T R A L I A N A R M Y M E DICAL C O R P S – 2 0 1 0