NEWS RELEASE – Utah National Guard’s 300th MI to host 7th annual Best Linguist Competition at its annual Language Conference in Salt Lake City

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DRAPER, Utah – Feb. 4, 2025 —The Utah Army National Guard’s 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist) is scheduled to host the seventh annual Best Linguist Competition on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency in Salt Lake City. This competition is the premier DoD language competition. The event is a scenario-based, operational skills-oriented intelligence language tournament. It will challenge intelligence

DRAPER, Utah – Feb. 4, 2025 —The Utah Army National Guard’s 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist) is scheduled to host the seventh annual Best Linguist Competition on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency in Salt Lake City. This competition is the premier DoD language competition. The event is a scenario-based, operational skills-oriented intelligence language tournament. It will challenge intelligence linguists’ application of language, cultural, and technical skills in seven languages through all stages of the defense intelligence cycle. Teams will have to decipher multiple documents and voice recordings in seven languages within a set time limit.  This year will be the largest competition on record, with 280 competitors in 40 teams with each team comprised of seven personnel per team competing from more than 100 organizations across the national security enterprise.

The tournament is held in conjunction with the 36th annual Language Conference which is the nation’s largest gathering of intelligence linguists, national security and academic professionals in the entire Defense Language Enterprise. More than 1,000 attendees are expected from more than 120 organizations throughout the field. The conference features keynote addresses from senior military leaders and others who will speak on this year’s theme “Linguists on the New Front Line,” providing unique insights into the operational and strategic challenges of this new kind of warfare, offering a deeper understanding of the evolving battlespace, and the tools to excel in that battle.

“As the United States faces increasingly complex threats, linguists with advanced language skills, cultural expertise, and technical training are on the cutting edge of our national defense,” said Col. Scott Chalmers, commander of the 300th MI. “Whether in cyberspace, developing critical intelligence, or countering disinformation, linguists are part of the team that ensures we stay ahead of our adversaries. The work they do on this New Front Line is pivotal in shaping the course of military operations and safeguarding our nation’s interests in an interconnected world.”

The conference and linguist competition bring together professionals from a variety of backgrounds to focus on the critical role of Intelligence Linguists in today’s rapidly evolving security environment. The front lines are no longer confined to distant battlefields. Instead, they extend into virtual spaces, cyber warfare, and the vast realms of geopolitical competition. Adversaries are adapting to exploit these new domains, and Intelligence Linguists are responding in ways that go far beyond traditional roles.

For further details about the competition, a demonstration version of previous competition content is available at https://intellinguists.com/mini-bli

Contact: Lt. Col. Chris Kroeber

Utah National Guard Public Affairs

(801) 716-9063

Email: [email protected]

Air: https://www.151arw.ang.af.mil/

Army: https://ut.ng.mil/

Media Notes: Media desiring to attend any part of the event should contact Lt. Col. Chris Kroeber at 801-716-9063 (text) or email at [email protected].

During Site Exploitation competitors quickly gather, analyze, and identify material with potential value during the 2024 Polyglot Games on Feb. 3, 2024. As a team, competitors clear a designated room and search through papers, materials, and technology in various languages, showcasing their ability to translate and decipher intelligence and information in their respective languages and identify critical intelligence materials.

Photos taken during the 2024 Best Linguist Competition.

Intelligence teams analyze and interpret documents and materials collected from the site exploitation activity at the 2024 Polyglot Games at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on Feb. 3, 2024. The Document and Media Exploitation event pushes competitors to use their linguist and decision-making skill sets to create and develop comprehensive profiles for targets and persons of interest.