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Bilingual Airman adds to mission

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Don Nelson
  • Air Force Print News
SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  Building relationships with Airmen serving and working with military forces in Central America, South America and the Caribbean is a responsibility that falls on the shoulders of members of the 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

One such Airman communicating the message clearly to build lasting relationships for the Air Force is Capt. Atilio Usseglio.

As an intelligence officer with the 612th Air Intelligence Squadron under 12th AF headquarters and AFSOUTH, Captain Usseglio speaks English and Spanish. The Peruvian-born officer, who previously served in Colombia, uses his bilingual skills and personal familiarity with South America to help coordinate the operation of all air forces in the region.

"This position has allowed me to improve the coordination of joint operations with the Colombian air force," said Captain Usseglio. "For me, speaking Spanish has been useful in building personal relationships that can enhance the operational mission."

Using Captain Usseglio's talents to improve communication with those who's first language is not English is part of the command's mission as they work with the Colombian air force. 

Twelfth AF/AFSOUTH serves as the air and space component to U.S. Southern Command. In that role, its mission is to plan for the employment of and to conduct, control and coordinate all air operations provided to USSOUTHCOM.

A big part of the mission is showing the Colombians how the U.S. Air Force does the job and sharing ideas to help them forward their mission, Captain Usseglio said.

"By building an understanding of how we work, that also builds trust," he said.

The collaborative mission with the Colombian air force relies a lot on a mutual understanding of what is being communicated. The benefits of Captain Usseglio's work have impacted the overall tone of the mission, according to Col. Mark McAlpine, 612th Air Intelligence Group commander and director of intelligence for 12th AF/AFSOUTH.

"Through Captain Usseglio's efforts, the Colombians have asked for increased support and more training teams and subject matter experts to better educate and train them on how the U.S. Air Force conducts its operations," said Colonel McAlpine.

"His ability to work alongside and integrate with the Colombian officers and enlisted members and (speak) in their own language helps better communicate the message without a misunderstanding," said Colonel McAlpine. "When you can show you have made the effort to better understand their culture and country, it builds a climate of trust and cooperation that is tough to duplicate."

While the operational benefits are enhanced by Captain Usseglio's speaking ability, his efforts also reach into the community. Serving as a liaison officer to Capt. Gomez Nino Air Base at Apiay, Colombia, he used his talents to assist a local health fair deployment.

"We want to show (the Colombians) that our support is not limited to (military) related matters," said Captain Usseglio. "We are there to work with them in any aspect, including community service."

The event was targeted to Colombians who did not have the greatest access to health care information and services. He raised money from the U.S. servicemembers and secured other donated resources needed for the fair. 

The recognition of the importance of bilingual capabilities to sustain these types of engagement missions and the force enhancements foreign language capabilities present when dealing with partner nations has caused the U.S. Air Force to put more emphasis on foreign language proficiency and cultural awareness, said Colonel McAlpine. An example of this is the recent new requirement for senior noncommissioned officers attending Senior NCO Academy and field grade officers attending Air Command and Staff College and Air War College to participate in foreign language training.