Comments on: I disagree

By: global village idiot

global village idiot — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:10:03 +0000

If it makes sense anywhere, it makes perfect sense in Puerto Rico.

Thousands of Puerto Ricans are in the Regular Army; thousands more are in the Puerto Rican National Guard. The Regular Army Soldiers get by as best they can, often learning English in Basic Training (Basic’s hard enough without trying to learn a new language as well, so kudos to them), but the National Guard Soldiers pretty much stick to Spanish, except in “mixed” company or on the radio.

gvi
SSG, USAR

By: Alcibiades McZombie

Alcibiades McZombie — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:09:42 +0000

Well, actual ethnic nationalists would never* fight for an “oppressor” state, so they would never join.

*Except for the Honky Nationalists.

By: TheGunGeek

TheGunGeek — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:45:59 +0000

Just like the big push lately with advertising to get parents to be okay with their offspring’s decision to join the military, advertising in Spanish (whether directed at the potential soldier or their parents) could certainly help to get the folks behind the decision. That’s got to help recruiting.

By: Rustmeister

Rustmeister — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:15:03 +0000

I might be upset if I were to be recruited in my native language, just to join and find out it was illegal (against policy) to speak it while conducting official business.

Unless they’ve changed that policy in recent years, you have to speak english while conducting Army business, and you have to speak it well enough for others to understand you.

It may not be wrong, but it’s not the smartest thing they’ve come up with. Better than “An Army of One” though. That was dumb.

By: Gregory Morris

Gregory Morris — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:28:59 +0000

As long as communication isn’t a problem, I agree 100%. But you not only have to have a firm grasp of the English language, but you have to speak it well enough that on a static-saturated radio, while under enemy fire, you can direct precision close air support. Most hispanic children raised in the US are completely fluent in English, with very little accent if any.