14 minute read
PEP Part 1: What Is PEP? I’m Interested
LT Randall A. Perkins IV, USN
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If you were like me, you had heard whispers of Personnel Exchange Program (PEP) flying opportunities. You were aware that there might be some exchange gigs out in the world of Naval Aviation, but you never really dug into it. You had met one, possibly two, pilots from your community who had returned from a PEP tour and “lived to tell the tale.” They “lived to tell the tale” in the sense that they successfully progressed to their next tour or career checkpoint (such as DH) despite the risk to their career that they had accepted by pursuing an “off-path” job. For those taking PEP billets, “living to tell the tale” was a not a guarantee because until recently, certain communities had not yet begun to realize the true value of PEP tours. This is a value that not only benefits the individual, but one that will also benefit that individual’s service community. To paraphrase a prior skipper of mine, “there is something unique about living overseas, being immersed in another culture, and taking part in a foreign unit that is an envelope expanding experience. It forces you to adapt, get humbled in the process, and see things differently. All great attributes we want in our future leaders.”
Maybe you romanticized about the opportunity to fly overseas with an exchange unit but assumed your timing would never work out. The adventurous notion of piloting an aircraft in another language and exploring a new part of the world was always a dream, but never a real option. Well, I’m here today to tell you that these tours do exist, they are possible, and it seems Naval Aviation as a whole has started to increase their value…in my unofficial opinion. In fact, the PEP community has grown significantly in size since 2008. It is possible that more communities have started to value a diverse range of experiences in their leadership, increasing the appetite and availability for these opportunities. A caveat before we begin: The information provided here is not official; it comes from my own experience in a Navy PEP flying billet, and I am still learning as I go. Any other prior or current PEP officers, specifically within naval aviation, please contact me with any and all corrections to the information I provide.
The purpose of this article and follow-on PEP articles will be to try and share details regarding the following: general overview of PEP and the requirements, aeronautical differences between the MH60S “Knighthawk” and AS365 “Dauphin”, lessons learned from flying in a foreign language, and a compare/contrast of US Naval Aviation and French Naval Aviation.
I’ll start with a bit of background on myself to give you an idea of how I ended up here and then dive into the beginning details of PEP and the initial requirements of the programthat we will cover in “PEP Part 1.” My name is LT Randall A. Perkins IV, an MH-60S pilot by trade currently serving my disassociated sea tour with La Flottille 35F, a French Naval Aviation helicopter unit stationed out of Hyères BAN - Base d’aéronautique navale. The 35F flies a few different models of the AS365 Dauphin and is comprised of several detachments. They supply the Search & Rescue (SAR) detachment onboard the Charles de Gaulle (CDG) French Aircraft Carrier along with several “Le Service Publique,” or Coastal SAR (coast guard) units for the coast of France and one or two other remote French territories. Additionally, they also have the odd pop-up detachment here and there onboard various French vessels. The unit is representative of a Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Expeditionary (EXP) squadron mixed with a United States Coast Guard (USCG) squadron. Prior to this tour I had the great pleasure of conducting two Landing Helicopter Deck (LHD) deployments with my initial Fleet Squadron (HSC-21 “Blackjacks”) out of San Diego, CA on both the USS Essex (LHD 2) and USS Makin Island (LHD 8). Following my initial sea tour, I completed my shore tour with Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Pacific (HSCWP) and HSC-3. My flying during this tour was spent primarily as an instructor with the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) of HSC-3 but I also had the opportunity to fly with several other HSCWP squadrons during my time as a Wing Instructor Pilot (IP). I was lucky enough to have the chance to fly as an additionally qualified pilot during work-ups onboard the LHD with my prior squadron the “Blackjacks,” with the HSC-8 “Eightballers” while serving as one of the Rim of the Pacific Exercise - Helicopter Element Coordinators (RIMPAC HECs) in Hawaii, with the HSC-12 “Golden Falcons” in Atsugi, Japan, and with the HSC-25 “Island Knights” in Guam during Command Assist Visits (CAVs) provided by HSCWP. Additional San Diego squadrons such as HSC-23 and HSC-14 were also fantastic units to work with flying anything from Day FAMs to UGR flights. The chance to integrate and fly with several HSC squadrons during my time as the T&R Officer at the Wing was a “super” (as the French say) way to learn, listen, and understand the hardships and troubles facing the squadrons and what we at the Wing could do to assist.
So how did I end up here? As I approached the end of my tour, I went through the normal discussion of job opportunities. I was hungry to do something different and had fantastic leadership to whom I could turn for advice. In the last month or so of discussion I was lucky enough to discover that a PEP tour aligned with my timing. The chance to experience a new culture, learn a language, and fly abroad was the challenge I was looking for, and I accepted the position. It could also possibly serve as a phenomenal chance to bring a different perspective back to my naval aviation community. Little did I know that I needed to pass an aptitude test first…but, before we discuss specific PEP requirements, let’s discuss some of the details regarding PEP, its background, and the goals of the Personnel Exchange Program.
If you were like me and your world existed only inside of the aviation bubble you probably thought PEP stood for “pilot exchange program.” PEP, in fact, stands for “Personnel Exchange Program” and for the most part exists in every community in the Navy in some form. PEP is not only available to aviators or officers but everyone from an enlisted US Navy Linguist to a US Navy Submarine officer, a lawyer, SEAL, or a Supply Officer. The list goes on. The US Navy currently conducts 203 exchanges with 20 foreign nations as well as a plethora of inter-service exchanges with the US Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard. This number continues to grow as more partners and allies see the value of the exchange program. In terms of US Naval aviation PEP billets, specifically rotary, the opportunities are limited; but amongst Naval Aviation as a whole, there are numerous opportunities. In 2008 the program was significantly overhauled and nearly tripled in size which was a result of the desire to enhance interoperability with partner navies and services. This sentiment was even further emphasized in the US National Defense Strategy, published in 2018 by former Secretary of Defense, General James N. Mattis (USMC, Ret.) with one of the three main priorities being “strengthening alliances and attracting new partners”. General Mattis went on to say:
“By working together with allies and partners we amass the greatest possible strength for the long-term advancement of our interests, maintaining favorable balances of power that deter aggression and support the stability that generates economic growth. When we pool resources and share responsibility for our common defense, our security burden becomes lighter. Our allies and partners provide complementary capabilities and forces along with unique perspectives, regional relationships, and information that improve our understanding of the environment and expand our options. Allies and partners also provide access to critical regions, supporting a widespread basing and logistics system that underpins the Department’s global reach.”
PEP perhaps plays one of the US Navy’s most significant roles in building the foundation amongst our allies with its main goals directly interwoven into the US National Defense Strategy. Those goals are neatly summarized below by the official Navy PEP instruction, OPNAVINST 5700.7:
1.) Enhance inter-service relationships
2.) Share the experience, professional knowledge, and doctrine of the respective services to the maximum extent possible within existing laws and policies
3.) Foster in the personnel exchanged an appreciation within the exchange personnel and the exchange unit a mutual appreciation for the policies and doctrines of their respective services
4.) Encourage mutual confidence, understanding, and respect necessary to strengthen relationships between participating military services
Per OPNAVINST 5700.7 the tour length for PEP is typically two years. This timeline varies by community depending upon which milestone you are approaching. The “Navy” aka OPNAVINST 5700.7 states that selected personnel must be capable of representing the U.S. Navy with tact and diplomacy and that the individual must be highly motivated for such duty. This makes sense as depending on the type of PEP tour, you may be the only US military service member in your area; thus you will be representing not only yourself but the US Navy and the American military as a whole. Often times you will have been a top performer at your pervious unit, and the US Navy is now sending you off to be not only a pilot in a foreign unit but also a liaison between the two services. The chances are high that you might be the first or only US service member some of the soldiers or sailors in your foreign unit encounter during their career. As a PEP officer you will very much be alone, afraid, and quite frankly…uncomfortable. The Navy’s desire for an “individual highly motivated for such duty” will come into play as you find yourself far from the usual support of the US military. For the most part there isn’t a NEX or commissary you can turn to, an MWR office for activities or outdoor hobbies, or an on-base medical clinic to run to. Many PEP billets do not exist near US Military Installations, you are out on your own and need to have the self-drive to integrate with the culture as much as possible. You’ll have to rely on your newfound language skills or perhaps, if lucky, fellow PEP personnel in the area to survive.
Now that you have a broad picture of what PEP is, let’s talk about what happens when you are actually selected for PEP orders, and the requirements that follow before you move overseas and start your position as a member of the program.
Once the option and timing of PEP is made available to you, you will need to pass an abstract thinking exam called the Defense Language Aptitude Battery Test (DLAB), if the country you are slated for is a non-English speaking country.
This exam is computer-based using audio and visual “tests/ questions” to evaluate your aptitude to learn a language. Individuals can take the test at a variety of various military installations across the country. Languages are categorized based off their difficulty, and each requires a certain DLAB score. For example, a Level 1 language includes languages such as French or Spanish. A level 4 language includes languages such as Arabic or Japanese. Level 2 includes German, and Level 3 includes languages such as Czech or Greek. The lower level a language, such as Level 1, the lower score or “aptitude” required on the DLAB. At the time of this article the minimum score for a Level 1 language was 95 out of 176 points available on this ~126 question multiple choice test. I’ve listed the language categories and associated DLAB scores below.
95 for a Category I language (Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish) 100 for a Category II language (German)
105 for a Category III language (Belorussian, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Persian, Polish, Russian, Serbian/Croatian, Slovak, Tagalog [Filipino], Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese)
110 for a Category IV language (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean)
Once the DLAB is complete your next step is orders to the Defense Language Institute (DLI), the military’s primary language institution. DLI is where you will learn your target language with a M – F, 0800 – 1500 daily schedule for an approximately nine month or longer course, depending on your language category. Your language learning can take place either at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, CA, DLI – Washington, or an institution of equal caliber [as far as I am aware this is usually reserved in Washington for certain billets / languages]. At the end of your course, you’ll need to pass the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) which is comprised of a Reading / Listening / Speaking score presented in the format “2/2/1+”. A “2/2/1+” is the minimum score to pass the DLPT exam. The exam is comprised of three individual tests: a three-hour reading exam, a three-hour listening exam (both of which are conducted on a computer within a testing center), and an approximately 45-60 min speaking exam conducted over the phone in an appropriate testing room. All tests are conducted on separate days. The scoring system gives the following grades: 0, 0+ 1, 1+, 2, 2+, or 3.
After passing your second checkpoint, the DLPT (first checkpoint being the DLAB), you’ll off to your PEP unit with various ISTOPs in between depending on the PEP country, where your US Military Chain of Command will be located, and various other factors. Items such as an overseas screening, Official Passport, and VISA will have to be obtained in the process. My recommendations if interested in/selected for PEP are as follows:
1. DLAB – Search online for various commentary and videos regarding the DLAB. You can sign up for a testing appointment at a local DLAB testing center (I took mine at Naval Base San Diego) and see how you do. Warning – The DLAB can only be taken every 6 months at the moment. The test will only take an hour or two and has timed sections.
2. DLI – The language learning process at DLI is intense. You will receive all the necessary grammar and vocabulary for building a strong base. You will be able to express basic desires, go to the store, ask for help with directions, recite stories in the past / present / future and give descriptions of your family members. What you will not have under your belt is the ability to describe the inner workings of an aircraft fuel system or the complex arresting gear systems on the aircraft carrier. That will come with time. My recommendation if selected for PEP is to start with pronunciation and listening before starting the DLI course. It might seem simple but grasping the pronunciation and sounds of a language will free you up to focus on the grammar and new vocabulary terms throughout the course.
3. PEP Unit – Your unit might have publications in both languages. After all, in reference to PEP flying billets, English is the language of the skies. However, I strongly urge you to create an American “English”/Native Language Blue Brains, checklist, kneeboard card, passdown, etc. for the position/ country you’re in. This might be common knowledge or practice for some but if not done it can be a significant hinderance to your successor. We all love a good turnover binder and as you change from one American military member to the next you can continue to improve and increase the performance of the PEP position and therefore the performance of person in the position by providing the right resources. You will only be competing against yourself in this PEP job, so it is up to you to help improve the reputation of Naval Aviation by preparing your replacement. The PEP pilot I replaced made a significant effort to create a comprehensive passdown which will allow for the achievements in this position to continue to grow for years to come.
Everything detailed in this article comes from my own experience and research with the intent to shed as much light as I can on this unique path for those who are curious, as well as to emphasize PEP’s importance within the US Navy. To reference the words of a mentor, “Valuing diversity tours such as PEP can serve as an excellent retention tool.” Options such as “diversity tours” might be the reason someone decides to continue their service in the US Navy and can also serve as one of their most memorable tours. The challenges and memories a diversity or PEP tour brings with it are extraordinary and can leave a lasting impression on its exchange members. However, diversity tours are not just about retention. They are also a fantastic method of bringing diverse experience back to the Fleet in our future Department Heads, Commanding Officers, and Major Commanders. Continuing the quote, “if we only have those in command who followed the same path
it can limit the viewpoints for lasting and better solutions… it [diversity] simply makes the organization better.” A diversity tour can and will improve our ranks with an increase in diverse experience and overall growth or awareness of military tactics, techniques, and procedures. That being said, there are still important milestones and jobs that need to be supplied with top talent from the naval aviation community.
It is my goal to continue with future articles regarding PEP in order to highlight key differences, best practices, and lessons learned, not only for the US Navy rotary community but for Naval Aviation as a whole. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, corrections, or additions I can include in the next article: randyperkinsIV@ gmail.com
