Special Operations Forces Language Transformation Strategy Needs Assessment Project: Unit Leadership Survey Report.

摘要

This study is one component of the SOF Language Transformation Strategy Needs Assessment Project. The larger study consisted of 21 focus groups conducted at units across the SOF community and several issue-oriented surveys conducted via the Web. This report provides findings from unit leaders who responded to the Unit Leadership Survey (N = 158). Findings indicate that unit leaders perceived there is a need to improve foreign language proficiency in the SOF community to ensure that personnel are able to meet their job requirements. Results showed that there is currently a gap in the level of proficiency that SOF personnel possess and the level that unit leaders believe is optimal for mission requirements (greater than 90% of unit leaders indicated that an Interagency Language Roundtable [ILR] level of 1+ or above would be ideal). However, less than half of all unit leaders surveyed indicated their personnel were able to effectively perform a variety of language-related tasks in their official or required language.