DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

UNITED STATES SOUTHERN COMMAND

9301 NW, 33RD STREET

DORAL, FL 33172-1202

SCCS 29 May 2020

MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION

SUBJECT: Policy Memorandum 68-20, Foreign Language Proficiency Pay (FLPP) for 

Department of Army (DA) Civilian Employees Assigned to U.S. Southern Command

1. References:

a. AR 11-6, Army Foreign Language Program, 18 February 2016.

b. DA PAM 11-8, Army Foreign Language Program Handbook, 8 January 2016.

c. DOD 7000.14-R, Financial Management Regulation, Volume 8, Chapter 3, June 

2018.

d. Under Secretary of Defense Memorandum, dated 7 April 2008, Subject: Foreign 

Language Proficiency Pay (FLPP) for DOD Civilian Employees.

e. Under Secretary of Defense Memorandum, dated 3 November 2006, Subject: 

Foreign Language Proficiency Pay (FLPP) for DOD Civilian Employees Performing 

Non-Intelligence Duties.

2. Purpose: To establish policy and responsibilities for validating and authorizing DA 

Civilian Foreign Language Proficiency Pay (FLPP) for DA Civilians.

3. Applicability: This Policy Memorandum applies to all DA Civilians assigned to or 

serving in a HQ SOUTHCOM or Security Cooperation Office (SCO) authorized billet.

4. Policy: Employees must be currently serving in a position in which proficiency in a 

foreign language is required for performance of officially assigned intelligence-related or 

non-intelligence duties. The employee must be assigned to a language-coded billet and 

the billet number must be included on the Joint Table of Distribution (JTD).

a. In determining whether proficiency in the foreign language is required to perform 

officially assigned duties, factors to consider include, but are not limited to:

(1) the level of interaction the employee has with partner nation personnel and 

(2) if proficiency in the foreign language is necessary for the employee to perform 

officially assigned duties. 
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b. DA Civilians serving in a FLPP coded billet position that requires a foreign 

language proficiency must be properly documented in the employees’ Position 

Description (PD) to include the skill level required to effectively perform official duties. 

IAW AR 11-6, 6-4(g)(4), the FLPP level is based on an individual’s demonstrated 

proficiency in the specified language and the Army Language List (ALL) (see Appendix 

A). The amount of FLPP should not exceed the bi-weekly pay period limit listed on the 

pay payment table and may not exceed five (5) percent of the employee’s rate of basic 

pay. 

c. The effective date of FLPP is the date the proficiency testing is complete or date 

eligibility begins IAW AR 11-6, whichever is later.

d. IAW AR 11-6, the amount of FLPP may not exceed $184.62 per bi-weekly pay 

for a single language, and $461.54 per bi-weekly pay period for a combination of 

languages (see appendix A). Total FLPP payments cannot exceed $12,000 for any 12 

month period. Payment requires:

(1). The language must be the DA Civilian’s Control Language (CLANG) as it is 

documented in the employee’s PD. The CLANG is paid at the “A” rate (higher rate). 

Any other language listed in the DA Civilian’s PD is paid at the “B” rate (lower rate). 

(2). FLPP will only be paid for one dialect per language, unless multiple dialects 

are specified in the PD.

(3). FLPP becomes effective on the pay period following receipt of all 

documentation and approvals by the appropriate DA Civilian pay system.

e. FLPP is not to be paid if the employee is in a Leave without Pay (LWOP) or other 

unpaid status in excess of 10 consecutive workdays, or in an extended paid absence in 

excess of 30 consecutive workdays.

f. FLPP is a discretionary payment and may be terminated by the SOUTHCOM 

Chief of Staff at any time.

5. Positions authorized to receive FLPP payments will be reviewed and validated 

annually by the Human Resources Oversight Council (HROC). If the HROC determines 

that proficiency in a foreign language is no longer required to perform official duties, the 

HROC will make a recommendation to the Chief of Staff (COS) that the language 

requirement for that position be eliminated. If the COS approves the recommendation, 

the employee(s) will be notified of the change and the FLPP payment(s) will be 

terminated. 

6. If/when a supervisor determines proficiency in foreign language is required for a 

position that does not currently have that requirement, the supervisor will request 

addition of the language to the billet and the corresponding PD through the HROC to 

the COS. The COS is the final arbiter of all FLPP coded positions/billets. 
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7. Records Management: Records generated by the implementation of this policy are 

maintained IAW the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Manual (CJCSM) 5760.01, 

Joint Staff Records Schedule.

The proponent agency of this regulation is the US Southern Command. Users are invited 

to send comments and suggested improvements to: HQ USSOUTHCOM ATTN: J14

305-437-3558, 9301 NW 33rd Street, Doral, FL, 33172-1202

FOR THE COMMANDER

PATRICIA M. ANSLOW

Major General, USA

Chief of Staff

DISTRIBUTION: E
Appendix A

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DA Civilians remain eligible for FLPP while attending short-term non-language training 

(119 days or less).

DA Civilians are not eligible for FLPP while attending long term non-language training 

(120 days or longer) such as joint and senior service schools (for example, National 

War College, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Army War College) unless the 

course of study is in the FLPP designated language or is language related. 

The Army’s minimum linguist proficiency standard is level two (limited working 

proficiency) in listening and level two in reading or speaking as delineated by the 

Interagency Language Roundtable. 

**The FLPP payment levels are based on proficiency ratings in listening, reading, 

and/or speaking with a minimum proficiency score of two. Rates are established in AR 

11-6, currently shown below:**

DA Civilian foreign language proficiency pay payment table – payment per biweekly pay period

DLPT Score Payment List “A” Payment List “B”

2/2 $92.31 $69.23

2+/2+ $136.46 $92.31

3/3 $184.62 $138.46