# 99065. Soldiers Have Double-Duty as Interpreters

```

By Pfc. Joe Lewczyk, USA
Special to the American Forces Press Service

COMALAPA AIR BASE, El Salvador -- Most U.S. soldiers in the 
Hurricane Mitch relief effort here use their primary job 
skills to help Central American nations rebuild. A few, 
however, find themselves doing double duty with a second 
skill that comes natural: speaking Spanish.

"Spanish is the language of these countries. There would be 
a lot of problems with these missions if there were no 
interpreters along," said Spc. Regis Rivera, an 
administration specialist with the 46th Corps Support Group 
from Fort Bragg, N.C. She volunteered to deploy here to 
support the Joint Operations Area because she could speak 
Spanish and wanted to help in any way she could.

"If I had the money, I would give them everything they 
need," said Rivera, a native of the Dominican Republic.

Interpreters are key in many everyday missions here because 
working with Salvadoran military forces is a big part of 
the effort to help the disaster-stricken populace. Unlike 
Rivera, other soldiers didn't have to volunteer -- sent 
here do their primary jobs, they simply wound up with an 
extra duty. 

Spc. Diores A. Lora of the 155th Transportation Company, 
Fort Eustis, Va., said he found himself interpreting on 
some missions because he was often the only one who could.

"I found myself doing two jobs at once. Everyone was 
looking to me to translate while I was performing my 
duties," he said. Lora's unit is attached to the 46th CSG 
for the relief effort and supports all of Joint Task Force-
Aguila [Eagle] in El Salvador by transporting equipment.

Pvt. Robert Conde, a corps support group automation 
specialist and native Puerto Rican, said the main advantage 
was no language barrier. "I can communicate with people, 
and they understand what we are here to do," he said. I can 
help out the Army as well as the people -- I can talk and 
have a normal conversation with them."

These conversations have their pitfalls, the main one being 
the difference in dialects. Some words have meanings in El 
Salvador that are different from elsewhere, Rivera said. 

"I might say something and, if it is different from what 
they use, they'll stop me and tell me how they say it," he 
said. "This is the only real problem that comes with the 
job of interpreting." 

The interpreters have also turned their important role into 
an opportunity to see and learn things about El Salvador 
and Central America -- Hispanic cultures different from 
their own.

Conde said he has seen the hurricane damage firsthand and 
gets a real-world view whenever he visits some towns. He 
also learned about the El Salvadoran military. "I talked to 
some of them and found out a few things about it," he said. 
"They do things pretty much the same as we do."

"I have never been anywhere, especially a country that 
needs help," Rivera said. "I learned a lot from these 
people because I was able to share conversations with them. 
I am just glad I can be here to help out. It makes you feel 
good that someone needs your help."

[Pfc. Joe Lewczyk is assigned to the Joint Task Force-
Aguila Public Affairs Office at Comalapa Air Base, El 
Salvador.]

##END##
```