The Pentagon is setting up a civilian Language Corps, a cadre of some 1,000 foreign-language speakers who can help the government in times of war and national emergencies.

In a three-year pilot program, the Defense Department will recruit volunteers and do testing to see if such a program would work. If successful, a permanent corps could be developed, said Robert Slater, who heads the Pentagon personnel office’s security education program. —Pauline Jelinek —Pentagon creating civilian Language Corps to help in times of war, emergenciesAssociated Press)

Via Language Log.