"The military's conventional language training program, the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., could not churn out enough American soldiers proficient in Arabic, Kurdish, Dari, Pashtu, and Farsi, and the military quickly turned to private contractors to fill the gap. Numerous programs have sprouted up, including one at Fort Lewis, Wash., where soldiers are given a 10-month immersion program in language and culture." Ten months? Wow. Very impressive. It means that they can kick down the door of a house...in Arabic. Yes, I am back...with a vengeance. (thanks Mohamed)