SALT LAKE CITY – The 8th annual Best Linguist Competition, or BLING, hosted by the Utah National Guard’s 300th Military Intelligence Brigade, brought together military branches and government agencies for a linguist competition Feb. 5.
On Feb. 6, the brigade also hosted the 8th Annual Language Conference, gathering military language professionals to hear from national intelligence leaders. Brig. Gen. Shawn Fuellenbach, assistant adjutant general, Utah National Guard; Maj. Gen. Lance A. Okamura, deputy commanding general for the U.S. Army Pacific and keynote speaker; and Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. director of national intelligence, attended.
Participants in BLING explored various aspects of military intelligence disciplines and honed their linguistic skills.
“Planning Bling is like writing a play,” explained Sgt. Kelen Wright, lead BLING developer with the 141st Military Intelligence Brigade. “You create the story, then develop the situations, and once that’s done, you need to convince the competitors to play their part.”
Once the event story was approved, members of the 300th Military Intelligence Brigade translated it into the seven languages in which competitors were tested: Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Korean, Russian and Spanish. The translations were then vetted.
After a brief roll call and sign-in, teams sat down for the scenario brief. Once completed, teams geared up and departed for the competition. The environment was busy, with canvas tents lined with intelligence challenges setting the stage for the event. The entire scene was a bustling military installation.
“Being on a base definitely helps with the ambiance,” said Will Freedman, a Utah Valley University student competitor. “It gets you in the headspace of an intel collector.”
Stations were set up for competitors to listen, read, analyze and assess data in real time. No lines, no script, just their knowledge and improvisation skills in a tightly timed event. Once completed, teams compiled their findings and briefed their command. They were graded on the accuracy of the information in their reports.
Immersive training events such as BLING trade rehearsals for readiness. Extended study time turns into action, allowing linguists to demonstrate their language proficiency. Throughout the competition, team members built unity and relied on each other to accomplish their mission. By focusing on their mastery of the foreign language and immersing themselves in the culture of its speakers, these competitors proved themselves.
“Linguists operate inside contested environments alongside military operations,” said Sgt. Matthew Christensen, a BLING developer assigned to the 141st Military Intelligence Brigade. “We stress-test precision under high pressure, in unfair conditions, because that’s what we expect when we fight.”
As the event concluded, Wright challenged competitors and observers to reflect on a new variable: the omnipresence of artificial intelligence. This relatively new tool can only be reliable when the power supply is abundant. The need for linguists is ever-growing, and their proficiency and knowledge will be relied upon when the power grids go down and the lights go out. As the battlefield evolves, communication becomes essential. It will be through linguistic superiority that we determine our next victory.