Deployed Airmen teach English to Kyrgyzstan teenagers

3/27/2006 - JANI JER, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) -- With the help of volunteers from the American military base just a few miles away, teenagers in Kyrgyzstan are learning the English language.

During hectic deployment hours and long work weeks, Airmen from U.S. Central Command Air Force’s Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan still find time to help out the local community through the Manas Air Base Outreach Society. They sponsor many trips off base to help local orphanages, a children's cancer center and other programs.

Volunteers from Manas attempted to break the language barrier at the Lyceum school for teenagers, ages 14 to 18.

“Hello, my name is Robert. How are you?” asked Staff Sgt. Robert Galusha, a supply troop with the 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron at Manas.

“I am fine, thank you,” answered a local teen in Sergeant Galusha’s class as he studied his English worksheet full of conversation examples.

Staff Sgt. Lara Gale from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing’s public affairs office at Manas provided the worksheets that teens worked with at the school to answer Sergeant Galusha’s questions. Sergeant Gale is the focus group leader of the Lyceum School program. Volunteering her off-time away from her deployed mission as the noncommissioned officer in charge of public affairs just seems like the right thing to do.

“We get one day off (at Manas) and I like to maximize my time while deployed,” said Sergeant Gale, a reservist deployed from the 419th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. “I like to use that time to make good things happen.”

Teens were divided into several activity groups and rotated through each one. While some kids worked on conversation skills, others played games that involved speaking English. Sergeant Gale, who taught English in Russia for six months, said by remembering key phrases in games, they’ll retain their English knowledge better.

Combining language skills with their technical skills will make them a versatile commodity in a country where young people can make a difference, said 1st Lt. Chris Marriott, another volunteer from Manas.

“English is a pretty widely used language and the influence we have on the people out in the community and around the base is very important,” he said.

Lieutenant Marriot, a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot with the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron here, volunteered to teach English words, numbers and the ABCs to a class in another room of the school.

“When they go out into the world and start leading communities and getting into businesses, they’ll have the basis for a global language to help them succeed,” the Moorhead, Ky. native said.

Lieutenant Marriot’s class studied writing English and reading words from the chalkboard. After working for about 30 minutes, she asked for volunteers to come to the board and give writing a try. They worked on common words like pencil, door and shirt.

Back in Sergeant Galusha’s class, one teenage boy worked on explaining what he does in school.

“Yes. I am a student (with help from Sergeant Galusha) and I study tourism.”

“Very good. Next,” Sergeant Galusha continued down the row of students anxiously awaiting their turn to try out their new English skills.

“Many of the students are very eager to learn,” said Sergeant Galusha, a guardsman deployed from the 175th Wing in Maryland, his home state. “A lot of them know more English words than they let on.”

Jim Carney, a MABOS consultant and charter member, said that some of the local villagers wonder why the Americans from Manas are helping so much. Activities like these are helping to build relationships.

“It shows the base is a good neighbor,” he said. “There are more than people in uniforms out here. They’re real people and the local nationals find out that Americans are more than just military people. They’re very generous and very human.”

Hopefully, he said, they will not only pick up an English phrase or two from the volunteer Airmen, but also come to recognize the power of individuals to make good things happen -- a lesson that will last them well into the future.

Maybe Staff Sgt. Robert Galusha could be of some help to students in Los Angeles.

The daughter of a friend of mine taught English to the Kyrgyze while serving with the Peace Corps in 2001 and 2002. She really wanted to stay there, but was unable to find long term employment. She now works in NYC. She had been deployed there shortly before 9/11 because her original assigned post became too dangerous. She brought home such interesting pictures and stories. Her parents visited her there, too, and came back with some amazing tales.

Emily's students were much more apt to be wearing native attire than the students pictured here. Of course she was stationed out in one of the villages. The Kyrgyz have some interesting customs. They engage in wild jousts on horseback, reminiscent of Ghengis Khan's warriors.

And, according to my friends, if they really like you they will pile you into a car with bald tires and take you out into the coutryside for a "picnic". When it is time to eat, they open the trunk and remove a live goat, which they slaughter in front of you and then proceed to cook. Dinner takes a long time!

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