The Army's need for linguists to assist soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan is steadily increasing, climbing nearly 15 percent for Arabic speakers and 35 percent for Pashtu and Dari in the last year and driving a reallocation of resources to pay for interpreters, according to Pentagon officials and documents. In fiscal year 2006, which began Oct. 1, the Army's requirement for Arabic translators in Iraq climbed from 6,200 to 7,200, and in Afghanistan from 450 to 700, according to an...
