FOREIGN LANGUAGE ONE-TIME TESTING BONUS

[Tony]

CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED// 
ROUTINE 
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INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC 
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NAVADMIN 089/24 
 
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MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/APR// 
 
SUBJ/FOREIGN LANGUAGE ONE-TIME TESTING BONUS// 
 
REF/A/DOC/OPNAV/08NOV18// 
REF/B/DOC/NLSA/01MAR23// 
REF/C/DOC/OPNAV/30AUG10// 
 
NARR/REF A IS OPNAVINST 7220.7H, NAVY FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY 
BONUS PROGRAM.  REF B IS THE NAVY FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY BONUS 
PROGRAM GUIDANCE FOR ACTIVE AND RESERVE COMPONENTS.  REF C IS 
OPNAVINST 5200.37, NAVY FOREIGN LANGUAGE TESTING PROGRAM.// 
 
RMKS/1.  This NAVADMIN announces implementation of the One-Time 
Testing Bonus (OTTB) component of the Foreign Language Proficiency 
Bonus (FLPB) program. 
 
2.  The intent of the FLPB program is to incentivize development and 
identification of critical foreign language and dialect capabilities 
needed to build a Navy that can fight and win.  The overall FLPB 
program is designed to incentivize language professionals to achieve 
and maintain higher proficiency levels and to encourage Sailors to 
identify and measure their foreign language capability through 
foreign language testing.  FLPB reinforces capabilities necessary 
for interoperability with our allies and partners and supports 
priorities outlined in the National Defense Strategy.  Specifically, 
FLPB reinforces competencies vital to keeping pace with growing 
multi-domain threats.  References (a) and (b) promulgate overarching 
policy, establish procedures, and provide guidance for the 
administration and payment of FLPB. 
 
3.  Beginning 1 May through 30 September 2024, the Navy will 
implement the OTTB component of the FLPB program and will offer a 
one-time bonus of $500 per language to encourage foreign language 
testing and identification of capability in the force for certain 
languages not recently or previously incentivized through monthly 
FLPB payments. 
 
4.  Eligibility 
    a.  OTTB is available to personnel in the Active and Reserve 
Components with at least one year left in the Navy, who are not 
currently receiving or eligible for monthly FLPB payments.  Sailors 
in FLPB eligible groups or those currently receiving monthly FLPB 
payments for any language are not eligible for the OTTB.  Groups of 
Sailors not eligible for OTTB include language professionals (i.e., 
foreign area officers and cryptologic technicians interpretive), 
graduates of Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, 
special forces personnel, and Sailors earning regular monthly FLPB 
for other reasons, such as assignment to language-coded billets. 
    b.  The languages designated for OTTB between 1 May and 30 
September 2024 are Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Hausa, Hungarian, 
Kurdish-Sorani (Kurdish-Central), Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, 
Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Thai, and Ukrainian.  These languages may 
be beneficial in support of current operations with partners and 
allies, and they align with and complement languages identified as 
critical to Department of Defense and the Navy.  Since these 
languages have not been recently or previously incentivized through 
monthly FLPB payments, the Navy's current capability in these 
languages is not measured.  OTTB may focus on other critical 
language and dialect capabilities in future iterations. 
 
5.  Award Criteria 
    a.  Eligible Sailors with skills in one or more of the OTTB- 
designated languages can qualify for the one-time $500 bonus in one 
of the following two ways: 
        (1) Achieve at least 2+ proficiency level (as measured on 
the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale) on both the 
listening (L) and reading (R) portions of a Defense Language 
Proficiency Test (DLPT). 
        (2) Achieve at least ILR level 2+ in speaking (S) via an 
Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). 
    b.  ILR level 2+ is generally understood to be close to the 
proficiency level of an educated, native speaker.  More detail on 
ILR skill level descriptions can be found at https://www.govtilr.org/.
    c.  There are no DLPTs available for Estonian, Latvian, and 
Slovak.  Sailors with skills in these languages may assess speaking 
ability via OPI testing to demonstrate eligibility for the OTTB. 
There is no OPI available for Lithuanian.  Sailors with Lithuanian 
skills can only qualify for OTTB via DLPT. 
    d.  Sailors with capability in any of the languages listed are 
encouraged to test and may test in more than one language.  Sailors 
with skills in multiple languages may qualify for OTTB in up to two 
languages per month.  Sailors may take more than two tests per 
month, however, the maximum allowable OTTB payment for each 
individual is $1,000 per month. 
    e.  Eligible Sailors must complete all tests on or before 30 
September 2024 to qualify for this one-time bonus.  Sailors are 
encouraged to take the tests as soon as possible.  Individuals must 
wait 180 days before retaking the same DLPT or OPI.  More 
information about foreign language testing can be found in reference 
(c). 
 
6.  DLPT 
    a.  To schedule a DLPT, eligible Sailors should visit 
https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/training-education-
qualifications/appointment-scheduler.  If your desired testing 
location is not available in the appointment scheduler, contact the 
Navy Foreign Language Testing Office at languagetesting@us.navy.mil. 
    b.  Sailors should be advised that the listening and reading 
portions of the DLPT must be scheduled individually.  When not 
contrary to command or testing facility policy, Sailors may take 
listening and reading portions in any order, may take both portions 
on the same day or on different days.  However, Sailors must 
complete both portions of a DLPT within 30 days of each other to 
comprise a valid test, and they must complete both portions of the 
DLPT before 30 September 2024 to be eligible for the OTTB. 
 
7.  OPI 
    a.  Sailors should be advised that OPIs can take up to six weeks 
to schedule and must be completed before 30 September 2024 for OTTB 
eligibility.  To schedule an OPI, Sailors or their test 
administrator should contact the Navy Foreign Language Testing 
Office at languagetesting@us.navy.mil. 
    b.  Sailors must identify a test administrator when scheduling 
their OPI.  A test administrator must be a commissioned or warrant 
officer, E-7 or above, or civil servant at level GS-5 or higher. 
 
8.  FLPB is a special pay, not an entitlement, and is subject to 
change or discontinuation.  Although there are no specific, unfilled 
requirements for these skills at this time, acceptance of FLPB 
constitutes acknowledgement of the recipient's possible eligibility 
for deployment for language-related duties. 
 
9.  Foreign language testing is beneficial to Sailors regardless of 
eligibility for FLPB or OTTB.  Enlisted Sailors who achieve ILR 
scores of listening 1+/reading 1+ or better via a DLPT or an ILR 
speaking score of 1+ or better via an OPI also earn a Navy Enlisted 
Classification code to document language skill(s) in their personnel 
records.  The American Council on Education recommends college 
credits for certain languages based on proficiency levels achieved 
on the DLPT.  Sailors interested in applying for college credit 
should contact the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education 
Support Military Training Evaluation Program.  More information can 
be found on their website at https://www.dantes.mil/credit4training/.  For 
Navy-specific assistance on getting started, Sailors may also contact the 
Navy College Virtual Education Center through their website at 
https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/.
 
10.  Commanding Officers should ensure widest dissemination of this 
information. 
 
11.  Points of Contact 
    a.  For policy questions, contact the Navy Language, Regional Expertise, 
and Culture Office, OPNAV N13F at Navy_LREC@us.navy.mil or by phone at (703) 
604-6267. 
    b.  For specific FLPB payment questions, contact the program manager at 
nxag_n13f_flpb@navy.mil or by phone at (703) 604-5509. 
    c.  For assistance with foreign language testing and to schedule 
an OPI, visit https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/training-education-
qualifications/appointment-scheduler or contact the Navy Foreign Language 
Testing Office at languagetesting@us.navy.mil. 
    d.  For frequently asked questions regarding foreign language testing 
visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/lrec/dfltp/.
 
12.  This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or 30 September 
2024, whichever occurs first. 
 
13.  Released by Vice Admiral Richard J. Cheeseman, Jr., N1.// 
 
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CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED//