Meeting the Language Challenges of NATO Operations ― Policy, Practice and Professionalization

"After 40 years of Cold War, during which it never carried out a 'live' operation, NATO suddenly found itself intervening in three conflicts - in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Afghanistan - where the ability to communicate with local officials and populations was essential to the success of the missions. It was largely unprepared for this, leading to confusion and improvisation. This book explains how the Alliance responded to the language and cultural challenges it faced and how one man led efforts toreorganize and professionalize NATO's translation and interpretation support on the ground so as to ensure that the missions did not fail through lack of understanding. The book contrasts these challenges with the situation during the Cold War period andoutlines NATO's language policy and practices, including the growing dominance of the English language. It finally recounts how NATO eventually developed a coherent doctrine on linguist support for military operations"--