June 12, 2025
Mr. Panetta (for himself, Mr. Tony Gonzales of Texas, and Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
To retain language proficiency and readiness to support national security goals of the United States.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Fluent Forces Act
.
Sec. 2. Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
Since 1941, the United States has recognized the need for military intelligence units to have a competitive edge through language proficiency. Although investments in linguists were made since World War Two to support American military and foreign policy, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, exposed a shortage of members of the Armed Forces who speak highly valuable languages. The terrorist attacks highlighted the persistent and continuous need for the Department of Defense to maintain a designated cohort of qualified linguists to respond to crises or contingencies anywhere in the world. In response, the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) was created. Today, DLIFLC remains the premier school of the Department of Defense for culturally based foreign language education and training.
(2)
Fluency in foreign languages and cultures underpins successful foreign policy and national security, as evidenced across an array of conflicts, including counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and great power competition.
(3)
Despite growing developments in technology and artificial intelligence, person-to-person engagement remains an intimate component of America’s military strategy, including in multinational conflicts throughout the Middle East and Europe.
(4)
The skillset provided by language and cultural training supports effective communication and interoperability between members of the Armed Forces of the United States and partner forces, allows for connections with local populations in politically sensitive environments, and offers more efficient diplomatic engagement with state representatives or negotiation teams.
(5)
With foreign language skills, members of the Armed Forces, including members of both active and reserve components, can make informed and potentially lifesaving judgements regarding strategy and operations that can be culturally-sensitive both at home and abroad. As information plays a more considerable role in military and foreign policy, linguistic skills provide increased support for intelligence gathering and subsequent interpretation.
(6)
The Foreign Area Officer program, with language instruction completed at the DLIFLC, serves as another indispensable component of America’s foreign policy strategy. Through their foreign language and cultural expertise, Foreign Area Officers are members of the Armed Forces grounded in the profession of arms who—
(A)
provide leadership and expertise in diverse organizations in joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational environments;
(B)
advise senior leaders as regional experts; and
(C)
offer unique war fighting competencies, including cross-cultural capabilities, interpersonal communications, and foreign language skills, that are critical to mission readiness of the Department of Defense in a dynamic national security environment.
Sec. 3. Annual Assessment on Recruiting Practices to Increase Attendance at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center
(a) Assessments
Not later than December 31, 2025, and annually thereafter until December 31, 2030, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives an assessment of recruiting methods of the Department of Defense to increase attendance at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.
(b) Elements of Assessment
Each assessment submitted under subsection (a) shall include, with respect to the 12-month period ending the month before the date of the submission of the assessment, the following:
(1)
An identification of the public and private secondary schools engaged by military recruiters for the purpose of increasing attendance at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.
(2)
An identification of the number of persons recruited from such schools who completed enlistment or accession into the Armed Forces and subsequently enrolled at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.
(3)
An identification of challenges to recruiting qualified individuals from such schools that limit progress toward increasing the number of personnel attending the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, including challenges with respect to—
(A)
procedures for recruiters to gain access to such schools;
(B)
the conduct of relationship-building activities between military recruiters and high schools;
(C)
the ability of military recruiters to follow-up with interested students; and
(D)
any other issues the Secretary considers appropriate.
(4)
Recommendations for new recruitment methods to increase attendance at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center through increased awareness of linguist professions in the United States Armed Forces and similar professions within the United States Government that might require proficiency in a foreign language.
(5)
Recommendations for how the Department of Defense can develop procedures to systematically document effective engagement and activities with high schools.
(6)
The plan of each Secretary of a military department to implement the recommendations described in paragraphs (4) and (5).
(7)
Measurable benchmarks of progress of current initiatives by the Department of Defense to recruit qualified individuals to attend the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.
(c) Disaggregation Requirement
Each assessment submitted under subsection (a) shall, with respect to the information required by paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (b) that relates to public secondary schools, include such information in a form that is disaggregated by local educational agency.
(d) Definitions
In this Act, the terms local educational agency
and secondary school
have the meaning given the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).