Defense Threat Reduction Agency

725 John J Kingman Rd #6201, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060

DTRA Fact Sheet for Prospective Russian Interpreters

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Headquarters is located at Fort Belvoir,

Virginia. DTRA has more than 100 active duty enlisted military Russian interpreters from the Army,

Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, who provide critical support as consecutive interpreters for arms

control missions. DTRA is the nation’s primary implementer of Arms Control treaties. At DTRA we 

conduct the official U.S. Government inspections of foreign facilities and units that are subject to arms 

control treaties and agreements; coordinate and escort foreign inspectors to U.S. facilities and units; plan and 

prepare for future treaties and agreements; and accomplish other missions in the arena of international 

security cooperation requiring our unique skills. The DTRA interpreters also regularly attend language

training classes both in the U.S. and in countries of the former Soviet Union. Additionally, once assigned to

DTRA, interpreters may have the opportunity to augment DTRA’s staff at U.S. embassies in countries such 

as Bucharest (Romania), Astana (Kazakhstan), and other locations.

The Hiring Process:

DTRA selects active-duty Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines in any specialty who can speak,

read, and write in Russian language. The minimum rank requirement is E-5 and above, however, we will

consider an E-4, on a case-by-case basis. To initiate the recruiting process, the candidate must meet the 

minimum requirement of three years’ time in service, and two years of time on station. To qualify for an 

assignment to the DTRA Interpreter Program, the recruiters will conduct a personal interview/language

assessment with each candidate, both in English and in Russian. The interviews/language assessment will

last approximately 60-90 minutes and can be conducted in person or over the phone. The DTRA interpreter

recruiters will then evaluate the candidate’s eligibility to proceed through the screening process, based on the 

results of the interview/language assessment. Upon favorable review of all qualifying documentation, DTRA

will request for the branch of Service release the candidate to the DTRA Interpreter Program and place the

successful candidate on assignment to the DTRA Interpreting Course at the Defense Language Institute in 

Monterey, California.

The DTRA Course at the Defense Language Institute:

DTRA conducts three, 47-week (1 year total) courses each year at the Defense Language Institute

(DLI). The DTRA Course starts in February, June, and October of each year. Courses begin with a 15-week

grammar refresher block. Throughout the entirety of the course, students will focus on speaking and basic

consecutive interpreting, with an increasing emphasis on interpreting as the course progresses. Students will

plan, organize, and execute various interpreting exercises in the Monterey Bay area, to practice the

interpreting techniques learned in the classroom, in real life scenarios as a practical examination of

interpreting skills. While these practical exercises are structured to be difficult, but not impossible, they are

designed to prepare the student for what he/she could face as an Arms Control Interpreter. Another practical

speaking tool that is used in the program is the "round table." Each student will be responsible for picking a

debate topic, and after preparation, his/her class will debate the selected topic for several hours. Instructors

will be on hand to facilitate the discussion, evaluate the students, and assist if the conversation stalls. The

courses and activities while at DLI support our primary focus of speaking in both Russian and English.

Upon completion of the DTRA Course, the graduate will be assigned to either Fort Belvoir, VA;

Kaiserslautern, Germany; or Travis AFB, CA. At DTRA, we will make every effort to assign an individual

to their preferred location, however, final assignment location is primarily based on the needs of DTRA.

For an overview of the On-Site Inspection and Building Capacity directorate mission, please

see the official DTRA website at: On-Site Inspection and Building Capacity (dtra.mil)

DTRA Linguist Recruiters can be reached at (571) 616-5549 / (571) 616-6449

dtra.belvoir.ob.list.linguist-recruiting@mail.mil

To ensure proper routing and a timely response, e-mail is the preferred method of contact.