Title 32—National Defense--Volume 1
PART 251—NATIONAL LANGUAGE SERVICE CORPS (NLSC)
§ 251.1   Purpose.
This part:
(a) Implements the responsibilities of the Secretary of Defense in 50 U.S.C. 1913 by establishing the NLSC program.
(b) Establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides procedures for the management of the NLSC program.
(c) Assigns responsibility to the National Security Education Board (NSEB) to oversee and coordinate the activities of the NLSC (as provided and determined by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1903 and 1913 with policy and funding oversight provided by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) in accordance with DoD Directive 5124.02, “Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R))” (available at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/512402p.pdf ).
§ 251.2   Applicability.
This part applies to Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Military Departments, the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD Field Activities, and all other organizational entities in the DoD (referred to collectively in this part as “the DoD Components”) and federal agencies.
§ 251.3   Definitions.
Unless otherwise noted, these terms and their definitions are for the purposes of this part.
Consultant. Defined in 5 CFR part 304.
Excepted service. Appointments in the excepted service are civil service appointments within the Federal Government that do not confer competitive status and are excepted from competitive service by or pursuant to statute, by the President, or by the Office of Personnel Management, and which are not in Senior Executive Service.
Foreign language. Any language other than English.
Language proficiency. The U.S. Government relies on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale to determine language proficiency. According to the ILR scale:
(1) 0 is No Proficiency.
(2) 0+ is Memorized Proficiency.
(3) 1 is Elementary Proficiency.
(4) 1+ is Elementary Proficiency, Plus.
(5) 2 is Limited Working Proficiency.
(6) 2+ is Limited Working Proficiency, Plus.
(7) 3 is General Professional Proficiency.
(8) 3+ is General Professional Proficiency, Plus.
(9) 4 is Advanced Professional Proficiency.
(10) 4+ is Advanced Professional Proficiency, Plus.
(11) 5 is Functional Native Proficiency.
Special government employee (SGE). Defined in 18 U.S.C. 202.
§ 251.4   Policy.
It is DoD policy that:
(a) The NLSC provides DoD, or other U.S. departments or agencies, with U.S. citizens with high levels of foreign language proficiency for short-term temporary assignments providing foreign language services.
(b) The NLSC is authorized to employ U.S. citizens as language consultants pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1913, 5 U.S.C. 3109, and 5 CFR part 304.
(c) The NLSC is exempt from DoD Instruction 5160.71, “DoD Language Testing Program” (available at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/516071_2009_ch1.pdf ), such that the NLSC may use tests of the Defense Language Proficiency Testing System or may use and develop other tests to assess language proficiency for the purpose of employing NLSC members as language consultants.
(d) The NLSC will be available to support DoD or other U.S. departments or agencies pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1913.
(e) The NLSC will:
(1) Collect personally identifiable information pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1913 from individuals interested in applying for NLSC membership.
(2) Comply with DoD Instruction 8910.01, “Information Collection and Reporting” (available at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/891001p.pdf ), Volume 2 of DoD Manual 8910.01, “DoD Information Collections Manual: Procedures for DoD Public Information Collections” (available at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/891001m_vol2.pdf ), and 32 CFR part 310.
(f) Qualified and available members with requested language skills hired in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3109 and 5 CFR part 304 and DoD Administrative Instruction 2, “Employment of Experts and Consultants” (available at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/ai002p.pdf ), will be temporarily assigned to government agencies pursuant to reimbursable agreements described in 31 U.S.C. 1535.
§ 251.5   Responsibilities.
(a) The USD(P&R):
(1) Provides overall policy guidance for carrying out the responsibilities and duties of the Secretary of Defense in accordance with DoD Directive 5124.02 and 50 U.S.C. 1913.
(2) Ensures appropriate resources are programmed for the administration and operation of the NLSC.
(b) Under the authority, direction, and control of the USD(P&R), the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness (ASD(R)):
(1) Through the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Education:
(i) Develops processes and polices regarding the NLSC oversight and coordination by the NSEB in accordance with 50 U.S.C. 1903 and 1913.
(ii) Recommends and oversees the establishment and execution of policies, programs, and goals to ensure the NLSC supports the readiness of the Military Services.
(iii) Oversees, and monitors compliance with the NLSC programs and processes on behalf of the Secretary of Defense to include the procedures in § 251.6.
(iv) Ensures that functions needed to support the accomplishment of the NLSC mission are executed, including engagement with DoD Components, federal agencies, and State and local governments to identify language needs, assessment of language proficiency of its members, and skill sustainment training.
(v) Determines eligibility for NLSC membership.
(2) Hosts the annual program review identified in 50 U.S.C. 1913.
(3) Designates a program manager responsible for overseeing implementation of NLSC programs and processes.
(c) Under the authority, direction, and control of the USD(P&R), the Director, Department of Defense Human Resources Activity (DoDHRA):
(1) Implements procedures and instructions for the appointment of NLSC members in support of DoD or other U.S. departments or agencies.
(2) Authorizes and signs interagency agreements between the NLSC and organizations outside of the DoD, and delegates authority to sign such agreements as needed.
(3) Provides administrative support to the NLSC, including actions related to intra- and inter-agency agreements, the intra- and inter-agency transfer of funds, personnel actions, and travel requirements.
(4) Provides fiscal management and oversight to ensure all funds provided for the NLSC are separately and visibly accounted for in the DoD budget.
(d) DoD Components heads ensure that the use of NLSC members is considered during exercise and operational planning.
§ 251.6   Procedures.
(a) NLSC purpose. (1) The purpose of the NLSC is to identify and provide U.S. citizens with foreign language skills to support DoD or other U.S. departments or agencies, in need of foreign language services, for requirements of less than one year.
(2) The NLSC will provide capable, federally-hired individuals to rapidly respond to critical national needs and assist DoD and other U.S. departments and agencies with surge or emergency requirements.
(b) NLSC membership criteria. NLSC members must:
(1) Be a U.S. citizen.
(2) Be at least 18 years of age.
(3) Have satisfied Selective Service requirements.
(4) Be proficient in English and any other language.
(c) NLSC member recruitment. The NLSC program manager will oversee recruitment of members. NLSC maintains a registry of individuals who have applied or been accepted for membership and responds to requests for foreign language services by searching the registry to identify individuals who can provide support. NLSC collects applicant information through electronically available DD forms (located at the DoD Forms Management Program Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/formsprogram.htm ) or comparable Web-based applications:
(1) DD Form 2932. Contains a brief set of screening questions and is used to determine basic eligibility for NLSC membership.
(2) DD Form 2933. A language screening tool to evaluate the applicant's skills with respect to specific tasks. DD Form 2933 is used in conjunction with the screening of language skills for entry into the NLSC.
(3) DD Form 2934. Provides an overall assessment of the applicant's foreign language ability. DD Form 2934 is also used in conjunction with the screening of detailed skills for entry into the NLSC.
(d) NLSC member appointment as federal employees. Where applicants meet NLSC membership criteria and are matched to foreign language services requirements, the NLSC program manager ensures actions are initiated to temporarily hire applicants and members for forecasted and actual support requests.
(1) For federal hiring, members follow excepted service hiring policies in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3109, 5 CFR part 304, and 32 CFR part 310, and are appointed as language consultants in advance of participating in a support request, in accordance with DoD Administrative Instruction 2.
(2) An NLSC member who is already employed by a U.S. Government agency or is under contract full-time to one agency must receive a release from the head of that agency or individual empowered to release the employee or contractor before being employed for service within the NLSC pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1913 and must comply with applicable laws and regulations regarding compensation. Such requests will be coordinated by the NLSC with the department or agency head concerned.
(3) NLSC members will be appointed on an annual basis pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3109, 5 CFR part 304, and 32 CFR part 310 to perform duties as language consultants. If serving less than 130 days in a consecutive 365-day period, they will be considered SGEs as defined in 18 U.S.C. 202. Concurrent appointments as an SGE may be held with other DoD Components or in another federal agency.
(4) The NLSC program manager will track the number of days each NLSC member performed services and the total amount paid to each NLSC member within the 365-day period after the NLSC member's appointment.
(e) NLSC member activation. Activation encompasses all aspects of matching and hiring NLSC members to perform short-term temporary assignments to provide foreign language services. Under NLSC program manager oversight:
(1) Customer requirements are matched with skills of NLSC members and support is requested from DoDHRA to process necessary agreements, funding documents, and personnel actions to provide foreign language services. In accordance with paragraph (d)(3) of this section, NLSC members are temporarily hired as DoD employees.
(2) NLSC members are prepared for activation. If members are to be mobilized out of their home area, travel order requests are initiated. During the assignment, action will be taken to coordinate with members and clients, and assess success with the requesting agency upon completion.
(3) If duty requires issuance of DoD identification (e.g., Common Access Card), such identification will be issued to and maintained by activated NSLC members in accordance with Volume 1 of DoD Manual 1000.13, “DoD Identification (ID) Cards: ID Card Life-Cycle” (available at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/100013_vol1.pdf ). Upon completion of the assignment, the identification will be retrieved in accordance with Volume 1 of DoD Manual 1000.13.
(4) Upon completion of assignments, DoDHRA will provide post-assignment support to members and reconcile funding to close project orders.