THE MISSION OF THE DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE (DLI)
The Defense Language Institute provides resident foreign language instruction in support of national security requirements, supports and evaluates command language programs worldwide, conducts academic research into the language learning process, and administers a worldwide standard test and evaluation system.
The Institute provides quality foreign language training for members of the United States armed forces and other government agencies. The Institute's major goal is to ensure that graduates meet the requirements of the agencies assigning them to foreign language study. The institute must therefore provide instructional programs that are responsive to the foreign language needs of a wide variety of military positions throughout the world.
HISTORY OF THE PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY
The military has played a role in the history of the Monterey Peninsula since 1770 when a small expedition led by captain Gaspar de Portola, officially took possession for Spain of what is now central California. In compliance with his orders "to erect a fort to occupy and defend the port (of Monterey) from the atrocities of the Russians, who were about to invade", his men immediately began construction of the Presidio.
Monterey became one of five presidios, or forts, built by Spain in what is now the western United States. Others were founded in San Diego, in 1769; San Francisco, in 1776; Santa Barbara, in 1782; and Tubae, Arizona in 1784.
The fortunes of the Presidio at Monterey rose and fell with the times: it has been moved, abandoned and reactivated time and time again. At least three times it has been submerged by the tide of history, only to appear years later with a new face, a new master, and a new mission - first under the Spanish, then the Mexicans, and ultimately the Americans.
American control of the area began in 1846 during the war with Mexico when Commodore John D. Sloat, commander of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Squadron, landed unopposed a small force in Monterey and claimed the territory and the Presidio for the United States. He left a small garrison of Marines who moved the location of the fort and began improving defenses to better protect the town and the harbor. The presidio was renamed Fort Mervine in honor of Captain William Mervine, who commanded one of the ships in Sloat's squadron.
In 1902, an Infantry Regiment arrived at Monterey whose mission was to construct a post to house an infantry regiment and a squadron of cavalry. Troops moved into the new wooden barracks, officially named Ord Barracks, in June 1903. However, in order to perpetuate the name of the old Spanish military installation that Portola had established 134 years earlier, the War Department redesignated the post as the Presidio of Monterey.
Between 1919 and 1940, the Presidio housed principally cavalry and field artillery units. However, the outbreak of World War II ended the days of horse cavalry, and troops left Monterey. In June 1946, the school was designated as the Army Language School and later renamed the Defense Language Institute in 1963.
HISTORY OF THE DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE
In November 1941, the Army established a secret school on the Presidio of San Francisco to teach the Japanese language to American soldiers of Japanese descent (Nisei). West Coast hostility toward the Nisei during this period forced the Military Intelligence Service Language School to move inland to Minnesota in 1942.
In 1946 the school moved to the Presidio of Monterey. Renamed the Army Language School (ALS) during the Cold War, it expanded to more than 30 languages and recruited worldwide for teachers. The services ran separate language programs until 1963, when the Defense Department consolidated them under a new Washington, DC headquarters, the Defense Language Institute (DLI). It had an East Coast Branch and a West Coast Branch, formerly ALS.
In the mid-1970s DoD consolidated DLI headquarters and all resident foreign language training for the services at the West Coast Branch, renamed the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.
Operation Desert Storm and the end of the Cold War changed the language mix, but underscored DoD's continuing need for skilled military linguists.
DLIFLC language programs take from 26 to 63 weeks to complete, depending on language difficulty. Classroom instruction lasts at least six hours a day, five days a week, with tailored homework every evening.
The service units conduct physical fitness and other military training. In addition to basic language programs, we offer refresher/maintenance, intermediate, advanced and specialized programs. These provide training to higher language levels, as well as special terminology and combinations of functional skills required for particular duties.
DLIFLC is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
LOCATION
The Defense Language Institute is located on the Presidio of Monterey (POM), about eight miles from the Ord Military Community (OMC), where the majority of students and permanent party assigned to the Institute live in military housing on a portion of what used to be Fort Ord. Also located on the OMC are the commissary, post exchange, main chapel, the Youth Services Center, Army Community Service, AAFES gas station, the Thrift Shop, the library, a Child Development Center, a grammar school and a middle school.
Telephone, DLI, POM, Commercial: (831) 242-5000
Directory Assistance: DSN: 768-5119. This is a Voice Mail Menu.
Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey: DSN: 768-5000
The Southwest Region (SWRO) is the Major Command at the Presidio and the Presidio of Monterey Annex. Approximately 1800 military housing units are available for students at the Naval Postgraduate School, the Defense Language Institute and members of the Coast Guard in Monterey.
Soldiers who have just finished their Basic Combat Training, and who are reporting to the Defense Language Institute (DLI) as their first long-term duty assignment, need to be aware that they are still in the Initial Entry Training process. They will go into Phase IV of their Initial Entry Training here at the Presidio of Monterey. This means that, for their first four weeks here at the Presidio, they will be restricted to post, living in the barracks, and not allowed to wear civilian clothes or to operate a privately-owned vehicle, during that time. This can significantly complicate settling a family into government provided quarters. Married soldiers who are coming to the Presidio of Monterey directly from Basic Training are strongly encouraged to arrange for movement of their family members here to the Presidio after, rather than during or before, their first four weeks here at DLI.
SPONSORS: If you know your unit assignment at the Presidio, you can contact that unit to see whether there is a sponsorship program available for you. Servicemembers coming directly from basic training will no be assigned sponsors.
Be sure to check in the Reporting Procedures section for instructions. All new servicemembers will attend the Joint Services Inprocessing Briefing given each Monday morning.
MAIL DELIVERY
While you are in transit status to the Defense Language Institute, you may have your mail forwarded. Use the address below:
Rank, Name of Service Member
Social Security Number
Unit Assigned
Defense Language Institute
Foreign Language Center
Presidio of Monterey, CA 93944-5006