LEARNING PASHTO IS BECOMING A SKILL OF THE PAST FOR U.S. TROOPS


By bblouin
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Cossairt writes English phrases on a dry erase board during a Pashto/English class.

It’s believed that there are as many as 430 languages spoken within the United States. One of those is Pashto, but it’s very uncommon. Even more so outside of the military, Middle Eastern, and Asian communities. However, in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, there are tens of millions of Pashto-speaking people. Now that the U.S. is focusing on other parts of the world more than the Middle East and the war in Afghanistan has wound down, the Pashto language isn’t as high of a priority for the military. With that being said, the language remains relevant for more than one reason. Related read: Code Talkers: The Native American Secret Weapons of WW2

Where is Pashto Spoken?

You’ll find Pashto spoken across the globe, but the primary countries in which the language can be heard would be Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. It is also spoken in some parts of Tajikistan. This makes perfect sense considering the language comes from southeastern Indo-Iranian languages consisting of three regional varieties that all fall within the relatively same geographical area in the Middle East.

What is Pashto?

Often confused with Dari and Farsi, Pashto is its own distinct language that is part of the Indo-European language family. Among the broader language, there are three different regional varieties and within each, a number of dialects exist. Historically, the language is known as Afghani in Persian literature, but this designation changed as the term Afghan has more recently been associated with people originating from Afghanistan. Among the Pashto alphabet are 45 letters and 4 diacritic marks. Traditionally, it is the native language of the Pashtuns. In Afghanistan, the language is one of the two official languages in the nation and is used by the Taliban while also being the second-largest language in certain portions of Pakistan. In addition to the 40 to 60 million native speakers, Pashto has played an important part as a secondary language to many people in the U.S. military. By being able to translate throughout the various wars in the Middle East, the skill proved vital for the American Armed Forces. But there is a shift in the military’s focus today. The U.S. military is beginning to look at Europe, Africa, and multiple potential hotbeds in Asia. This means that new skills and languages are being prioritized rather than those spoken in the Middle East. Suggested read: U.S. Forces Continue To Make Progress Against al-Shabaab

A Shift from Focus on the Middle East Also Means a Change in Education for Troops

The job of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, California, is to study languages and cultures to help teach warfighters accordingly. For the last couple of decades, Pashto has been a high priority. But things are changing and even though the Taliban is still using the language as its official mode of communication, new classes at the DLIFLC won’t be learning Pashto as a part of its curriculum. That isn’t to say that the DLIFLC won’t ever teach the language again since this skill was and still may be very valuable, but the new direction of the world dictates a change in the lessons troops take on for mission readiness.

Pashto Remains an Important Skill Despite Refocus

Pashto military phrases may still come in handy even though U.S. troops have left the region, for a few reasons. This includes the fact that some counterterrorism missions may still be necessary. Since the Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan in 2021, understanding the language of the fundamentalist group is still vital for human rights initiatives. Furthermore, intercepting messages, even when not operating, is key for American intelligence. It’s not as if Pashto is the easiest language in the world to learn, especially for native speakers of English. Making the skill all that more valuable. Complicating things even further is the Wakhjir Pass, which may keep Pashto at an elevated importance level. Though small, it’s a potentially important piece of the Afghanistan-China border that the U.S. may continue to maintain in high importance as tensions grow with Asia’s leading superpower. Read next: Military to Civilian Resume: In-Depth Guide & Expert Tips


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