MCC Spike Call Midn. 1⁄C Blair Suzuki, right, participated in a fall semester exchange at the Japanese National Defense Academy. Courtesy photo.

Tim Disher, director of the International Programs Office, spread a map out on a conference room table during the Trident interview.

''This is a map of the world according to DoD (Department of Defense),'' he said. ''It shows different areas of responsibilities (AORs) associated with the four-star Combatant Commanders. They are in the best position to determine the priorities and needs for engagement with countries and we want to ensure we are in synchronization with these priorities.''

Disher described military theaters where international cooperation ensures security and the joint commands where Army, Air Force, Marine and Navy service members work together with American allies to achieve peace. To attain that goal, multinational forces need to speak the same language -- literally.

Released by the Office of the Secretary of Defense in January 2005, the Defense Language Transformation Road Map calls for an increase in the number of officers and enlisted with language proficiency and a regional area of expertise.

''The Defense Language Transformation Road Map is really the driving force for shaping a more linguistically capable and culturally aware officer corps,'' Disher said.

The Naval Academy’s International Programs Office works to meet the need by expanding study abroad and language immersion programs. In the fall of 2007, the semester study abroad program will sponsor 25 Midshipmen to Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Egypt, Jordan, China and Singapore.

''Last year, we sent exchange students to foreign military academies,'' Disher said. ''This next academic year we will send them to civilian universities too, including China, Egypt, Jordan and Singapore.''

To prepare the students for their experience, the International Programs Office will host an open house this fall for the classes of 2009 and 2010 to learn about opportunities that will be available for next year. Applications will be due in October, and the Midshipmen can spend the spring semester preparing for their time in another country.

The number of students in the language study abroad program (LSAP) increased from 110 to 147 students. Faculty members from the language studies department serve as program managers, and the International Programs Office handles the logistics.

''We help the Midshipmen get their passports, VISAs, country clearance, medical requirements, and pre-briefs,'' Disher said. ''Visiting a foreign country isn’t easy, and the professors who serve as program managers may change. Our office provides continuity, so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel as different faculty work with the programs.''

These programs scratch the surface of the Academy’s international involvement. Nearly 50 international students representing 24 countries plan on graduating from the Academy over the next four years. Eight international officers, representing Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom, teach at the Academy.

Last summer faculty members took small groups of Midshipmen to India, Turkey, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Other Midshipmen received professional training on foreign exchange cruises. Still others participated in conferences and other academic or athletic events.

In return, foreign students serve on U.S. Navy ships and some even go through Leatherneck, a four-week course where Midshipmen get a taste of the Marine Corps.

''All the international programs have an educational component,'' explained Disher. ''The Midshipmen may visit a foreign service, our embassy, business and political leaders. The idea is to expose them to the type of activities they’ll be engaged in as officers.''

Disher also works closely with the Chief of Naval Operations Office, other Pentagon offices, and Navy commands to align the Naval Academy’s priorities to those of the Navy and Marine Corps. At the Academy, he works with the language studies department, the chair for Force Transformation and the director of the Middle East and Islamic Studies Center. Disher is often asked how the Academy teaches language, culture and regional knowledge and how it balances the Midshipmen’s needs in the international arena with their need for technical expertise and leadership.

''We have to synergize,'' Disher said. ''They are all important for winning the war and for preparing officers for the 21st century. We have to stay in alignment with the needs and priorities for the Navy and Marine Corps and figure where we’re going to get the biggest return.

''The Midshipmen are not just learning a language,'' Disher said. ''They’re gaining perspective and they’re undergoing a transformation as they live in another culture for four to six months (for those involved in study abroad). They’re learning about themselves as they explain their beliefs to our allies and partners.''

Disher believes that this understanding of world events and this ability to communicate with other cultures will help them succeed in operational environments.

''These are lifetime opportunities,'' he said. ''What they learn about other cultures now will help them become better officers and better leaders. Being able to contribute to that is most rewarding.''