Johnson endowed the scholarship largely to honor his mother, Nannea, a native of Indonesia who was fluent in Indonesian, Dutch, and French before she immigrated to the United States at nine years old. And if you’re critically thinking about society, then I think you’re being a good American.” “If you’re learning a foreign language, you’re also learning the culture, and if you’re learning the culture, by default you’re widening your aperture, drifting into critical thinking, and getting a better understanding of society and the world. Many broader benefits of foreign language study extend to people in all professions, not only the military, he said. The Air Force Reserve is committed to building future leaders and preserving a capable force for the defense of our nation. The opportunity to pursue both career paths has made him a better Citizen Airman. The Air Force Reserve has offered Johnson the opportunity advance in his primary career field, cyberspace, while pursuing niche FAO capabilities. In 2013, Johnson was the first Air Force Reservist selected as a Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Affairs Strategist, now Foreign Affairs Officer (FAO). It has certainly helped me in my job and made me a better officer because, in the military, you do a lot of writing.” “To speak and write well in another language, you have to understand grammar, and that understanding makes you a better English writer. He learned Portuguese at the Defense Language Institute and noted that being tri-lingual-improved his English skills, too. While most of Johnson’s French-speaking counterparts are fluent in English, his ability to understand their native tongue ensures more accurate communications, especially on technical points, he said. The Air Force Reserve offers many career incentives for Citizen Airmen including foreign language proficiency pay, special assignments, dedicated access to career assistance advisors and more. You don’t need native fluency, but you have to be able to rap pretty well to be considered a legitimate partner in foreign affairs.” “Seriously, if you want to be good at your job and have credibility engaging with partners, you have to speak their language. “I get an extra $400 in my paycheck because of my language skills, and in social situations, it’s a good party trick,” he quipped. “It has literally opened doors for me,” Johnson said. He was chosen for the tour in part for his French language proficiency. Embassy in Morocco as the Air Force Program Officer in charge of U.S.-Morocco bilateral Air Force programs while assigned to the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs (SAF/IA) as an Air Force Reserve Individual Mobilization Augmentee. Johnson served a 13-month tour at the U.S. His language proficiency has been critical to his success in the military, especially on overseas deployments. He was also a cadet in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and is now a Lieutenant Colonel and foreign affairs officer in the Air Force Reserve with previous responsibilities in Francophone Africa. Johnson learned French as a child in California and majored in French studies at WSU, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and the 1998 Cougar Football team. “It means so much when our young alumni take an active interest in the success of students who soon follow them.” “We’re extremely grateful for Chris’s generous support of WSU students and the positive impact it will have on many students’ lives,” said Don Shearer, director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences. By Johnson’s request, preference will be given to a junior or senior majoring in French language. The tuition-assistance scholarship in WSU’s Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures will be awarded for the first time this fall. “But studying a foreign language and actually employing it forces you to think beyond your circle, to look beyond America, and that’s important because it makes you a better American,” he said. “So few Americans speak a foreign language, and the outcome is that few Americans understand the world outside their immediate circle,” Johnson said. PULLMAN, Wash - Molding better Americans is the motivation behind a new foreign language scholarship created for Washington State University students by alumnus Christopher “CJ” Johnson (’02), an officer and linguist in the U.S.
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