Army Defense Language Institute (for Navy) Gouge
German Class BLCGM108 2007-2008
European and Latin American School
Larkin Elementary Grounds Annex
U.S. Army Presidio of Monterey, Pacific Grove/Monterey, CA
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Army Defense Language Institute (for Navy) GougeGerman Class BLCGM108 2007-2008 |
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(Updated July 2008) What is to follow below is a brief account of my time at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. This course was a prerequisite for the follow-on tour as a Personnel Exchange Program "PEP" Pilot for the Germany Navy. Note that I am not in the Army and I was not part of a "high-density" language course (read: crypto), nor did I attend class on the U.S. Army Presidio of Monterey, but rather, I attended very small section of DLI, the European and Latin American Languages department at the former Larkin Street Elementary School complex annex which is attached to "the Presidio" a.k.a. "POM". This course was also not for any of the usual language purposes; I am not an FAO or Crypto, and unlike most of the students at DLI I did not start at DLI directly from boot camp. Please consider this, because my experience written about DLI may be quite dissimilar to what you will experience here. Also, my perspective is mostly slanted from the family perspective. The BLOG run by military wives in Monterey is worth reading for familes, go to www.stationedinmonterey.com.
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Check-in at the U.S. Navy Center for Information Dominance Detachment "C.I.D.D."/"CCD" on the Army Presidio of Monterey.
First thing to do is of course to check-in at the Quarterdeck. Two opportunities for check-in as a Navy person on an Army Post. Best way to do it? Stay at the BOQ (the former Del Monte Hotel on NPS); the Navy quarterdeck at NPS is co-located with the BOQ front desk (call 831-656-2441). Or, if you must check in at the official place of business for Navy students at DLI, you will have to find Building 629A on the Presidio of Monterey. Below is a quick map of the POM in case the google map above is blocked by your local network. As you can see the Presidio is mostly open land. It is complete with deer and other animals. The eastern edge of the Presidio can be seen from Lighhouse Avenue just as you drive up from the tunnel. The only gate you can obtain a visitor's permit: Private Bolio Gate on Lighthouse Ave.
Where to stay upon arrival: I personally recommend the CBQ/BOQ/BEQ on the Naval Postgraduate School campus. CALL (831) 656-2060 for reservations. Address: 1 Univ Circle, Monterey, CA 93943. It was previously the Del Monte Hotel of Monterey. Other options include the Navy Lodge on the La Mesa Housing area (La Mesa Navy Lodge 831-372-6133), the Army Lodge at DLI, exhorbitantly expensive civilian hotels in town on Abrego street, or even more expensive hotels in Carmel. A quick comparison of the BOQ and the Navy Lodge:
BOQ / Del Monte Hotel at NPS La Mesa Housing Navy Lodge $45-59/night, guaranteed up to 60 day stays on orders. $77+/night, overbooks rooms. On NPS next to food, admin, gas station and stores.
2 restaurants, 2 food stores, other services.
Close to Navy admin office, Pass & ID, lots to do there
At NPS.Next to the Parks Management Office and the Child Development center.
Close to the Personal Property Office for NPS students.
Close to the Navy Fleet & Family Support Center
Short commute to NPS, very slightly closer to DLI.In a fairly urban area
Not close to La Mesa Housing or CDC
See below about dealing with the Parks Management Office.Isolated, need a car to survive there.
No food/restaurants/etc.
We arrived and our reservation was not honored "no guranteed reservations"Huge by comparison, many 3-room suites, great service. Single rooms with small kitchen areas.
Where to live: In town/On the economy for as much or more than the BAH, at La Mesa Family Housing run by Parks, or Fort Ord Family housing run by parks. For the single folks it is a no-brainer: an apartment with an ocean view for 1/2 the BAH paid out.
About the Military housing: Our experience with Military Housing in Monterey was deplorable and not uncommon. Pinnacle management in other cities like San Diego does a far superior job of civilian-run military-owned housing. That said, about 30% of the individuals who have dealt with the Pinnacle contract company "Parks" that runs the former military housing in Monterey have had a decent experience, perhaps because that 30% equals the portion of the ancient military housing property that was remodeled. There are countless horror stories about the service at the company, the procedures, the attitude, and especially about the quality of housing provided. The old military housing areas of La Mesa, Fort Ord, Presidio of Monterey and more were turned over years ago to the civilian company Pinnacle to be remodeled. The widely-accepted story goes like this:
- Most former military homes houses were condemned, some were in such a state of disrepair that they were simply unusable. About 30% were remodeled even though the contract was to rebuild all the units. Construction slowed and then stopped mid-way through the program. An example of the houses that were "de-condemmed" in thier original state can be seen on the west side of General Jim Moore Blvd as you drive south from the Burger King.
- The contract company forces a forfeit of all BAH in exchange for a house ranging wildly in size and age. A married O-2 with no children may be provided with a 4BR/2BA new 2-story/2-car garage home while an O-4 with 4 children may have only a choice between a 10-day wish list or an ancient 3BR/1BA/carport where the kids must share rooms. Clearly an example of failure. The nicest housing by far are those houses near the golf course south of Fort Ord - many are reserved for (and well-deserved by) senior enlisted.
- The housing is divided in three parts: "Homes" - are newly built and have 4-digit addresses, "Existing Homes" - these are renovated (or just repainted) old cinder block homes next to the new homes with three digit addresses or unit names A, B, etc., and "Fitch Park" - old homes that were never condemned that are all in Fort Ord. These have wooden floors and are in generally far better shape than the "Existing Homes", however these are only available to DOD civilians and retirees. Military members may request this housing by writing a letter to the Parks Director or Military Liaison.
- Pinnacle "Parks" blunders/successes during reconstruction:
Comparison of Parks-Managed Housing vs. living out in town:
- Comcast cable is not available. The cable wire was not run and/or connected. Television must be obtained with DISh network or DirectTV. The fog in Monterey makes for lousy service with satellite but there is no other option. Some areas of military housing can receive digital HD from the Salinas stations with a large roof antenna.
- Internet Service is poor. All internet is provided by Verizon's WLAN. Depending on weather, usage and the day of the week the service may be acceptable or just poor. Comcast is the market leader in Monterey but it is not available in the Parks housing areas.
- Utilities are run rather well using the share system. Each house's individual usage is compared and averaged against the group for each housing type (3BR vs. 4BR, etc). The middle users pay nothing - energy is paid for already by the BAH forfeiture. Ultra-high users pay the ultra-low users on a monthly basis. This is a fair system being used at more military housing areas every year to incentivise reduced consumption.
- The best school in the city is the one inside La Mesa Housing. If you live in la Mesa, you can walk the kids there. Read more about local schools here. Many schools in Monterey have been closed due to decreasing demand. More about this economic situation below..
Our exact experience with Parks (Pinncale) Management was as follows: We arrived on September 1, 2007. On Monday September 3rd I arrived at the Parks Management Office 10 minutes prior to opening time to find a line of 15 people at the door before the office opened its doors. We sat and discussed all the rumors and expectations we were told by phone before our arrival. "People used to set up tents out here before the office was opened", "They tell you they have plenty of properties available", "They cannot take orders or names before one arrives in person, first come, first served". I was seen by an "agent" 3 hours after arrival and was provided a sheet of paper, the "Preview List", stating "no housing available". I was told to simply come back each day for a new list. The staff expected everyone to stand in line daily and commit hours of time to this task until I was presented with at least 3 houses to choose from, then i could come in once every 10 days for a list of houses available. After a few days I obtained a list of 9 homes, all in one row. A building still marked for demolition was delisted and would be open in 30 days for new tenants. This building was to be painted and rented. This building was literally trashed: trash piles in the yards, all vegetation was dead, broken wondows, one large balcony on back was to be shared by the 9 units, no designated parking areas, and the backyards were not safe for children. I went into the office a few days later after looking around town at the Craigslist listings. A Lt. Colonel and his wife waiting in line told me to look in town; they had looked at one of the units in this building of 9. They stated that mold was growing in the closets, and that a water leak had soaked the carpet in a bedroom and the unit smelled like dog feces in the kitchen. We were extremely lucky after this. I went on Craiglist the next morning at about 7am and found the house we ended up renting the same day. We found a 3000 sq. ft. 4 BR/3BA house on "Spaghetti Hill" with a great view for $100 more than the then current BAH rate. Aside from the astronomical utility rates, the house worked far better than our friends in Parks housing. We had an absentee landlord, a great view, plenty of space with no mold, comcast HD and internet!
Pinnacle "Parks" Out on the economy BAH forfeited but includes water, trash, sewer, energy.
Houses vary drastically in size/quality but fees are equal.BAH +/- $200. Single people can profit $1000-1200/mo.
But, a nice view + lots of space = lots of money.La Mesa Housing area: Existing/New homes
Fort Ord Housing Area: Existing/New/Fitch Park
Some rare designated areas for those who qualify.Best places to live without FOG:
Spaghetti Hill (between DLI and Del Monte Mall), along 68 freeway,
old beach houses directly next to NPS. Avoid Carmel, Marina, Pacific Grove.Internet: Verizon WLAN: Slow, unreliable
Free HDTV: Salinas over-the-air unreachable in some areas.
TV/HDTV: Must use satellite DirectTV/DISH
Energy: included, get paid for lower consumption!
Trash/water/sewer: includedInternet: Comcast service is fast, cheap and reliable
Free HDTV: Salinas over-the-air unreachable in most areas.
TV/HDTV: Can use satellite DirectTV/DISH, but Comcast is best.
Energy: VERY EXPENSIVE especially for older houses ($300-400/mo. winter)!
Trash/water/sewer: VERY EXPENSIVE. $15-20/80-100/20-30 /mo. respectively.Easy to set up, easy to quit, almost no bills to worry about
Next to CDC, School (La Mesa)
Next to Commissary, quiet (Fort Ord)
Family friendly neighborhoods full of kids.
Close to NPS if you have classes there.Many options unless you show up in town 2 weeks before NPS starts.
Live in a top-tier neighborhood you couldn't otherwise afford.
Peace and quiet, live like a civilian for a little while.
Utilities like Internet & TV are far superior.
Live wherever you want.Quality of the older homes (mold, heating, space)
No good views. Some views at Fitch Park.
You must deal with the Parks Management.
None are close enough to bike/walk to DLI.High security deposits, utility bills.
Many old houses are expensive to heat and need repairs.
Nobody likes to rent for a short period.
All the usual quirks of renting from an individual.Everyone has to check in with Parks anyway.
The newer houses are nice.Regardless of whether you think you will live in the Parks communities or not:
Get on Craigslist and the town newspaper and start the search now.La Mesa / Fort Ord / Fitch Park Housing Office: 1301 Leahy Dr. 93942
800-334-91681, 831-642-4300, 831-656-2321/22/23, 312-878-2321/22/23 DSN
Living in Monterey, a former Army-Navy town: The following is opinion based not largely on fact but my own eyesight, and is not explained on Monterey's wikipedia entry. Monterey is a fantastic place to be stationed. Most of us would love the opportunity to be stationed for a shore/non-combat tour in this part of the United States, especially just succeeding/preceding a trip to a "desert country", or for those of us in the Navy, a "sea tour". However this town is really that; a town.
The population of Monterey, minus the military members and thier immediate support structure is rather small and comprised of really just these 4 groups:
- Retirees, mostly military retirees. The rich ones are mostly non-veterans.
- Students of the local California State University Monterey Bay.
- International Students and thier professors from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.
- Hard-working members of the families of Migrant/Guest workers in the immensly important regional agriculture megacenter in Salinas.
The REAL economic situation in Monterey:
- There are many closed stores, and many of those open are struggling or only open seasonally. Major events such as Laguna Seca car & motorcycle races, the Pebble Beach Auto Show, and the golf courses sprinkly money around the city a few times a year. The famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf, and the neighboring towns including Salinas, Santa Cruz, Pebble Beach and Carmel are also rich in history and bring visitors to see it, yet the only economic powerhouse of all of these is the city that many individuals perceive as being the poorest; Salinas.
- The situation for children in Monterey is especially poor. Few children live here when compared with other military towns and it is evidenced by the public facilities, restaurants and stores that serve the city, although much work has been done to fix these problems in recent years. More evidence of the situation for children are the number of closed schools. In 2002, Monterey closed FOUR elementary schools to save money. The US Government operates at least two of the former elementary schools as "DLI annexes" in an effort to pump a little more money into the local economy and make use of schools that used to be full of children.
- The economy in the city has suffered greatly since forces were moved away from Camp Fort Ord through the 1991 BRAC commission and the city has never really recovered. The majority of residents in Monterey are retirees or rich folks (or both).
- Many non-military residents are anti-military and/or very liberal, especially those on Monroe Street. Residents on this street have complained to the city and managed to force the Presidio to disallow students at the Larkin School Annex from parking his/her vehicle on the street - a parking right paid for with state tax money that these military students are also paying for. For years, local supporters and lobbysists attempted to have DLI and the Naval Postgraduate School removed/shut down, but the 2005 BRAC Commission unanimously agreed to keep both in place.
New Hope for families and children in Monterey:
- New construction in the neighboring primarily residential city of Marina and the reconstruction of sections of the former Fort Ord may turn things around. In Marina and in Monterey new stores are opening that cater to this albeit small "2.5 children/household" demographic. The Del Monte Mall recently closed a few boutique stores to make room for for home-y/family stores. Also there are several new parks with fields and play equipment for children. Two childrens' parks were recently opened with state money, and the Dennis the Menace Park has been cleaned up and refurbished.
- For more about family activities and free activities in the city, see www.monterey.org.
- The Naval Postgraduate School continually increases its enrollment and increases funding, and this money eventually trickles into the community not only through the families' use of local facilities but through the teaching and support staff. This is a solid source of income that may never replace Fort Ord but provides year-on-year growth at some level.
German 50108 at the European Languages School (aka former Larkin Elementary School).
German classes, like several other "low-density languages" languages with few students are conducted just a few times a year. For example, an Italian class, which had one student, or a typical French class with 8 students that starts three times a year. The German department has two course sections each year with 6-8 students per class; one starting each fall around October, the other starting every spring around April. DLI-EAST at the U.S. Naval Station (Anacostia Annex) in Washington, DC and FSI conducts individual one-on-one language training, but in a much smaller overall capacity. The largest and most frequently-run languages taught at DLI in 2008 are arabic, farsi, chinese and russian, yet only 4-8 students participate in each classroom.
The languages German, French, and Serbia-Croation are taught at the European Languages School at the Larkin Annex. See the map above for the exact location. The graphic to the right depicts the location in GREEN, in relation to the Presidio of Monterey. It is adjacent, joined by a footbridge passable only by those who carry a DBIDS-registered DOD CAC card.
Defense Language Institute English Language Center (DLIELC). (Introduction to English Language) The first two weeks of re-learning English grammar are more fun than it sounds. Also, toward the end you will be acquainted with a little about your "Target Language" culture. This culture course and the english language reeducation both contribute to your course credits required for the diploma and if you so desire and qualify, the Associate of Arts degree.
Class Schedule: In total, the German Basic course is 37 weeks long, not including any holidays. my course was from 15 October 2007 - 17 July 2008. So my German course, the fall » spring course, all things considered, was 40 weeks long due to the Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter holidays, plus a slough of federal holidays. Bear in mind that on many federal holidays the Navy detachment will assign duties or hold command functions such as PT, mando-fun or other organized events. However, be thankful that the Navy detachment has not {yet} adopted the Army program of DAILY organized events in the wee hours before classes begin! A Staff Seargent in my class was required to attend organized PT and marching practice every day at 4:15am, all the while trying to get a decent performance grade on his second run through (the first was at the Russian school years prior), and completeing the 2-3 hours of homework daily after classes were over.
Daily, classes followed a very strict schedule of 6 50-minute sessions as follows. Note that every language is different, some require more grammar or less listening, etc. Also there are tests, quizzes and other events that alter the schedule slightly every week. The biggest take-away is that in the German class the third semester has no grammar (only grammar review) and instead has real-time news following for vast vocabulary building. All breaks are 10 minutes long, and a healthy lunch break of 1:15 allows most students to travel home (Parks housing in Fort Ord is too far to reach during this time on a regular basis, however):
07:55 - 08:45 The previous night's/weekend's homework review. The previous night's/weekend's homework review, or Listening practice Student presentations of yesterday's news articles. 10 min. break. 08:55 - 09:45 Mondays: continued review of weekend homework or TEST (2 hours) Listening practice or TEST (2 hours) News article discussions or Listening practice, or TEST (2 hours) 10 min. break. 09:55 - 10:45 Grammar. Grammar, reading or listening practice. Listening practice.
Fridays: Speaking practice.1:15 lunch break:
10:45 - 12:0012:00 - 12:50 Grammar, speaking, or Listening practice. Grammar, speaking, or Listening practice. Speaking or Listening practice. 10 min. break. 13:00 - 13:50 Reading or Listening practice. Listening practice. Listening practice. 10 min. break. 14:00 - 14:50 Speaking practice 1-on-1 with teachers / Reading or TEST REVIEW. Speaking practice 1-on-1 with teachers / Reading or TEST REVIEW. Speaking or TEST REVIEW. 10 min. break. 15:00 - 16:30 How can you pass DLI the easiest way?
- There is no easy way. It takes paying attention in class (adequate sleep + coffee), studying (2-3 hours per night), and if you don't study enough, Special Assistance (basically detention with a teacher, up to 3 students per teacher max).
How can you have an enjoyable time at DLI?
- Take advantage of your weekends - don't study Friday night or Saturday, but budget Sunday for studying.
- Spend quality time on the tasks each weekday with breaks.
- Immerse your mind in the language. Don't limit your education to the books provided by class. Go on the internet and find study material in the target language.
- Subscribe to a target-language magazine or book, watch a movie in the language, listen to web radio, watch the target language TV if you can get it (Try DISH or Comcast).
- Once your mind has switched-on to the language and you begin to think inside your head in the target language, or notice that when you speak you start to automatically select the foreign words first, you have made it.
- PLAN the holidays and off-days way in advance to stay motivated.
Here is what my last two weeks looked like. As you can see, the school expects you to conduct your outprocessing during the very few off-days available after the final DLPT. I had 2 whole days and 3 half-days to do so, yet if planned well you can get all of this done weeks in advance, if it is carefully arranged. See below for the contact numbers, and above for the map of where it is all located.
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CIDD Admin Office: 831-242-5993/5996
Passport photos at the Tin Barn 242-5249 (talk to the Official Post Photographer)
Passport Office at NPS Admin, talk to Mr. Osborne 656-1855
POM Personal Property: 831- 242-5203 or 5410 or 5330, 5096, 242-5330/1
At the end of the course, on your last day, you will be handed a paper list of links that you can use to further your retention and improvement of the language you just finished learning. Unfortunately these links are on paper. So, here is a copy of all of that information. (
Here is an actual scan of that document):
Kidon Media-Link: 19535 newspapers and other news sources, Kidon Media-Link
RadioStationWorld - Radio Broadcast Directory and Listing of Radio Stations on the Web
Omniglot - a guide to the languages, alphabets, syllabaries and other writing systems of the world
Study skills self help information | Cook Counseling Center | Virginia Tech
AA Degree: http://www.dliflc.edu/academics/academic_affairs/associate_degree.htm
AA Degree CLEP test prep: http://www.dantes.doded.mil/Dantes_web/DANTESHOME.asp
Craigslist (Monterey): http://monterey.craigslist.org
DLI Alumni association: http://www.dli-alumni.org/services/dli-flc_transcripts.htm
Google Maps (MyMap Point of Interest listing): http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=100247171140751055966.000437db18fa888738e71&ll=36.615803,-121.871338&spn=0.110228,0.22316&z=12&source=embed
Monterey Herald: http://www.montereyherald.com
Monterey Herald Newspaper classifieds online (click on Monterey): http://www.backpage.com
Navy CIDD: http://pom-ima.monterey.army.mil/sites/tenants/cidd/index.html
Navy Lodge finder (click Monterey): https://www.nexnet.nexweb.org/pls/nexlodge/find_lodge_form
Navy Training E-mail: https://www.training.navy.mil/
NPS: http://www.nps.edu/
Parks / Pinnacle Management Company for Monterey: https://monterey.pinnaclefamilyhousing.com/
Presidio of Monterey: http://pom-ima.monterey.army.mil
Presidio of Monterey Lodging: http://www.pomlodging.com/
Stationed in Monterey: http://www.stationedinmonterey.com/
Wikipedia entry for Monterey: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey,_California
GOUGE HOME | OCS | API | PRIMARY & INT. | ADVANCED HELO | SH-60B FRS / RAG | HSL-51 | Defense Language Institute | PEP Germany | Pacific Partnership 2012 - COMDESRON 7 [ Homepage ]
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