The Air Force has picked 59 majors and captains to develop their language skills and serve in international jobs.
The officers will participate in the regional affairs strategist program, is intended to develop their create a cadre of officers with in-depth expertise with foreign countries that are crucial to national security, the Air Force Personnel Center said Tuesday.
Most of the participants will earn an advanced academic degree, learn a foreign language, and immerse themselves for six months in several foreign countries within their assigned region. Language requirements vary, but the Air Force is hoping to create officers proficient in Russian, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi and other foreign languages.
"RAS participants have an opportunity to develop international insight, foreign language proficiency and cultural understanding," Maj. Katie Tanner, international affairs assignments chief, said in a news release. "Once they complete appropriate training, RAS officers will fill international, political-military focused assignments. Their international and regional experience and language skills, combined with existing operational skills, help us build partnerships with allied and coalition forces, which is an Air Force core competency."
The program is open to officers with between seven and 10 years of commissioned service. Participants will get their language and region assignments this spring.
Tanner also said the Air Force looks for the dedicated airmen for this program.
"Completing a graduate degree and learning a second language are intensive time commitments away from their core community, so we need committed, focused airmen who are ready for some hard work," she Tanner said.
Air Force Times has requested the names of the officers selected for the program.
The list of selectees follows:
Captains
Ahn, Andrew
Banakos, Daniel
Bernards, Paul
Bihar, Alejandro
Born, Lang
Brent, Justine
Burton, John
Capell, Margot
Chen, Andrew
Cima, Caitlin
Curtiss, Paul
Farmer, Bobby
Finley, Kelsey
Garey, Justin
Guibert, Lauren
Hamilton, Brian
Higgs, Donald
Hill, Patrick
Hutchins, Michael
Jaskiewicz, Paul
Jensen, Ryan
Johnson, Brent
Lanzola, Stephen
Layugan, Ian Sherwin Ulep
McCaughan, Ryan
Nakamura, Justin
Nanna, William
Nazzall, Amal
Nice, Yonca
Pal, Rajan
Paslay, Kyle
Risner, Thomas
Rogers, Brandon Melvin
Santo, Claudio
Sena, Thomas
Shayhorn, Peter
Silva Garza, Angelica
Smith, Troy
Sturm, Douglas
Thomas, Benjamin
Whiddon, William
Young, Oyunchimeg
Zabala, Harry
Majors
Botardo, Alex
Christian, Nilesh
Coleman, Braden
Edgington, Joshua
Greer, William
Nail, Terry
Park, Beom
Summey, Matthew
Vitolo, Luke
Yoon, Yesun
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
