4 October 2024
Army linguists played an important role at this year’s Exercise Super Garuda Shield, held last month.
The annual multinational exercise, hosted by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), involved more than 20 different nations, with Australian soldiers from the 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, working closely with counterparts from Indonesia, the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom.
Five Australian Army linguists used their language skills in Bahasa Indonesia and cultural insights to help facilitate joint training, including explosives handling, close-quarter battle operations, tactical combat casualty care and a major field training exercise with the TNI.
They also helped with smaller group discussions and introducing soldiers to local cuisine, traditions and customs.
Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Andrew Gehrig, of Headquarters 1st (Australian) Division, said there were challenges that come with the responsibility of being an interpreter on international exercises and operations.
“The hardest part of being a linguist is when your brain turns to mush after speaking in another language all day, but you know you have to keep going,” he said.
“Language is not just words; it’s the key to unlocking trust and understanding between cultures. Without it, we’re blind. Every time I use their language, Indonesians see me not as a foreigner but as someone who has taken the time to understand them. That changes everything.”
'Linguists set our soldiers up for success in the future, not just for this operation, but by teaching them how to navigate new cultures.'
Engineer contingent commander Captain Stuart Bruce, of the Darwin-based 1st Combat Engineer Regiment, said his linguist, Private Dewa Butkus, whose mother is from Bali, played a vital role.
“Without our linguists, we wouldn’t have been able to conduct the level of safe training and relationship-building we achieved on this exercise with the TNI,” he said.
“Our linguists bridged the gap, not only in language but in cultural understanding.
“There were times when no TNI officers or soldiers could help translate, and without our linguist we wouldn’t have been able to continue training.
“Dewa helped us understand the customs – like the importance of prayer times and cultural gestures. It allowed us to show respect and build stronger bonds with the TNI troops.
“Prior to the start of each day, I spoke with Dewa to get his thoughts on anything that might be beneficial for activities, discussions, or engagement we had with the Indonesians.
“Linguists are a capability. Having someone with local cultural knowledge allowed us to connect on a deeper level, enhancing our interoperability.
“Every night, we would engage with the TNI officers or soldiers, developing those relationships, and having a linguist there made those connections possible.
“Linguists set our soldiers up for success in the future, not just for this operation, but by teaching them how to navigate new cultures.”
Australian Army linguists undertake extensive language training at the Defence Force School of Languages, which provides training in 18 languages.
