Defense Language Insitutute
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  1. #1
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    Defense Language Insitutute

    Hey Marines,

    I'm going into either Intelligence or Crypto, and since I passed the DLAB I'm hoping/assuming I'll be given an opportunity to go to the DLI after my MOS school. Have any Marines here been to the DLI? If so, can you give me some information about what it's like to be there?

    I looked up class information, and 3 of 5 Marine battalions are for Arabic, which is about 1 1/2 years of training. Classes are I believe 7-8 hours / day, 5 days / week, on top of daily drill and PT. I'm assuming weekends are the only "free" time you really have.

    I know the Marines on this forum are always saying to take things one step at a time, as I haven't even left for boot camp yet, but I'd just like an idea of what to expect. My brother lives about an hour outside of Monterey, CA (where the DLI is located), so I'm looking forward to the possible opportunity of being able to visit him occasionally if/when I'm out there.

    Thanks.


  2. #2
    Im at DLI now so if you have any questions, throw 'em out. You can go to DLI a couple different ways... as for your situation:

    If you get a 02xx contract- you MIGHT complete the school at Damneck, VA and be sent here to take on a language as well.

    If you get a 267x contract- you will come here straight out of MCT.

    The Marine Corps Det. has 6 platoons. Im not going to say how many for what language, because it'll probably change by the time you get here. Class is 7 hours a day. No drill. PT depends on your platoon. Weekends are liberty (unless you are on duty obviously). You have alot of freedom at DLI as a Marine compared to every other MOS school, so you get that chance, don't screw it up. The classes are very difficult, unlike college.

    Alright, one last thing:
    Most of what you can read about DLI is written by Navy, Army, or Air Force... take it with a grain of salt. Let me know if you have any other questions, I'll be happy to answer most of them.


  3. #3
    Poolee/DEP Free Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by ohsdrummer08 View Post
    Im at DLI now so if you have any questions, throw 'em out. You can go to DLI a couple different ways... as for your situation:

    If you get a 02xx contract- you MIGHT complete the school at Damneck, VA and be sent here to take on a language as well.

    If you get a 267x contract- you will come here straight out of MCT.

    The Marine Corps Det. has 6 platoons. Im not going to say how many for what language, because it'll probably change by the time you get here. Class is 7 hours a day. No drill. PT depends on your platoon. Weekends are liberty (unless you are on duty obviously). You have alot of freedom at DLI as a Marine compared to every other MOS school, so you get that chance, don't screw it up. The classes are very difficult, unlike college.

    Alright, one last thing:
    Most of what you can read about DLI is written by Navy, Army, or Air Force... take it with a grain of salt. Let me know if you have any other questions, I'll be happy to answer most of them.
    Thanks for the info. It sounds like you actually have a lot more free time than what I've read.

    How long have you been at the DLI and what language are you studying? In regards to the classes, I would expect that they would be very difficult, but do you find that most people are able to grasp the language and progress through the material by putting forth the effort, or do you see people struggling to learn? I've had a couple people tell me that attrition rates are high at the DLI (people who haven't been there), but I would imagine like with almost any other form of academic study, you should be able to make it through the courses if you put forth 110%.


  4. #4
    I've been here since March '09. Im in Arabic. the curriculum is getting changed constantly with some languages so the attrition rates are very high. Recent graduating classes for Arabic were around 65% (keep in mind it's a joint service school). Some people do ok without a lot of studying but its not easy in any way.


  5. #5
    Maybe this thread can help answer some of your questions, even though it's directed towards females.

    DLAB, DLI, Females
    http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=89499


  6. #6
    Nathan,

    Would you say the Marines have a better pass rate than the other services? I've noticed that to be true at some of the joint schools I've attended.

    Are they teaching you MSA? If so, are you getting exposure to various cultural dialects? Our guy fresh out of DLI (can't remember if he went to the course after the one you are taking or not) was pretty hard pressed to speak Iraqi with his MSA background. Regardless, I'm sure you will pick up dialects in country after a few months. I'd guess they'd start leaning toward Farsi or Pasthu these days, though.(?)


  7. #7
    Hussaf,

    From what I've seen the failure rate is about the same (percentage wise) for all services. Of course the army and AF have more students fail, but they also have a **** ton more seats in the courses. They are currently teaching MSA but have also started teaching classes that read MSA and listen and speak Iraqi. The Marines are not taking part in the Iraqi MSA blend classes.


  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by mercury2671 View Post
    Hussaf,

    From what I've seen the failure rate is about the same (percentage wise) for all services. Of course the army and AF have more students fail, but they also have a **** ton more seats in the courses. They are currently teaching MSA but have also started teaching classes that read MSA and listen and speak Iraqi. The Marines are not taking part in the Iraqi MSA blend classes.
    That's typical. Don't give people the training who need it most. Well good luck with the rest of your coursework, and stay consistent. You can get good money being an Arabic speaker when you get out.


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