Short title

This Act may be cited as the

National Security Culture and Language Training Act

Office of Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science Initiatives

(a)

Establishing the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science Initiatives

Section 138 of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (1)in subsection (a), by striking ten and inserting eleven; and (2)in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(6)One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science Initiatives. He shall have as his principal duty the overall supervision of the Office of Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science Initiatives.

(b)

Establishment of the Office of Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science Initiatives

Chapter 101 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

2016.

Office of Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science Initiatives

(a)

Establishment

There is in the Office of the Secretary of Defense an Office of Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science Initiatives (hereinafter in this section referred to as the Office). The Office shall be under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science Initiatives. (b)

Duties

The Office shall— (1)devise and implement a training doctrine that includes the development of cultural, sociological, and psychological knowledge and skills for members of the armed forces; (2)use existing cultural training programs and structures in the armed forces to expand training efforts for all military personnel; (3)devise measurable, empirical criteria for determining the value and efficacy of each initiative and program of the Office; (4)develop and maintain partnerships between the Department of Defense and academic institutions, social science professionals, and human science professionals to further the mission of the Office; (5)serve as the clearinghouse within the Department of Defense for knowledge in the human and social sciences; (6)develop products and studies on cultural awareness training and education, educational training and science, language science, and opinion shaping; and (7)disseminate human and social science knowledge to members of the armed forces in the field in a useable, standardized form. (c)

Report

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, and every year thereafter, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science Initiatives shall submit a report to Congress on the implementation of this section.

Use of new skill incentive pay and proficiency bonus authorities to encourage training in critical foreign languages and foreign cultural studies

(a)

Eligibility for skill proficiency bonus

Subsection (b) of section 353 of title 37, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b)

Skill Proficiency Bonus

(1)

Availability; eligible persons

The Secretary concerned may pay a proficiency bonus to a member of a regular or reserve component of the uniformed services who— (A)is entitled to basic pay under section 204 of this title or compensation under section 206 of this title or is enrolled in an officer training program; and (B)is determined to have, and maintains, certified proficiency under subsection (d) in a skill designated as critical by the Secretary concerned or is in training to acquire proficiency in a critical foreign language or expertise in foreign cultural studies or a related skill designated as critical by the Secretary concerned. (2)

Inclusion of certain Senior ROTC members

A proficiency bonus may be paid under this subsection to a student who is enrolled in the Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program even though the student is in the first year of the four-year course under the program. During the period covered by the proficiency bonus, the student shall also be entitled to a monthly subsistence allowance under section 209(c) of this title even though the student has not entered into an agreement under section 2103a of title 10. However, if the student receives incentive pay under subsection (g)(2) for the same period, the student may receive only a single monthly subsistence allowance under section 209(c) of this title.

(b)

Availability of incentive pay for participation in foreign language education or training programs

Such section is further amended— (1)by redesignating subsections (g), (h), and (i) as subsections (h), (i), and (j), respectively; and (2)by inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsection (g):

(g)

Foreign language studies in officer training programs

(1)

Availability of incentive pay

The Secretary concerned may pay incentive pay to a person enrolled in an officer training program to also participate in an education or training program to acquire proficiency in a critical foreign language or expertise in foreign cultural studies or a related skill designated as critical by the Secretary concerned. (2)

Inclusion of certain Senior ROTC members

Incentive pay may be paid under this subsection to a student who is enrolled in the Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program even though the student is in the first year of the four-year course under the program. While the student receives the incentive pay, the student shall also be entitled to a monthly subsistence allowance under section 209(c) of this title even though the student has not entered into an agreement under section 2103a of title 10. However, if the student receives a proficiency bonus under subsection (b)(2) covering the same month, the student may receive only a single monthly subsistence allowance under section 209(c) of this title. (3)

Critical foreign language defined

In this section, the term critical foreign language includes Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Pashto, Persian-Farsi, Serbian-Croatian, Russian, Portuguese, or other language designated as critical by the Secretary concerned.

(c)

Pilot program for foreign language proficiency training for reserve members

(1)

Pilot program required

The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a pilot program to provide a skill proficiency bonus under section 353(b) of title 37, United States Code, to a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who is entitled to compensation under section 206 of such title while the member participates in an education or training program to acquire proficiency in a critical foreign language or expertise in foreign cultural studies or a related skill designated as critical under such section 353. (2)

Duration of pilot program

The Secretary shall conduct the pilot program during the period beginning on October 1, 2008, and ending on December 31, 2013. Incentive pay may not be provided under the pilot program after December 31, 2013. (3)

Reporting requirement

Not later than March 31, 2012, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing the results of the pilot program and the recommendations of the Secretary regarding whether to continue or expand the pilot program. (d)

Expedited implementation

Notwithstanding section 662 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110–181; 122 Stat. 180; 37 U.S.C. 301 note), the Secretary of a military department may immediately implement the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) in order to ensure the prompt availability of proficiency bonuses and incentive pay under section 553 of title 37, United States Code, as amended by such subsections, for persons enrolled in officer training programs.