The award for top French language student at the most recent Defense Language Institute graduation was an Army civil affairs officer assigned to the 353rd Civil Affairs Command. During the graduation ceremony on June 13, 2024, the civil affairs officer received the Provost Award.

Army 1st Lt. Amelia Smith began her military career as an adjutant general officer. Between January of 2022 and July of 2023, Smith served as the aide-de-camp to the commanding general of the 353rd Civil Affairs Command. That experience inspired her to transfer out of the adjutant general corps and become a civil affairs officer.
The 353rd CACOM arranged for Smith to attend the Defense Language Institute upon her completion of the Civil Affairs qualification course. She studied French there for nine months and earned a 3.7 grade point average. Prior to arriving at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, Smith’s familiarity with French was limited to two years of basic French classes in high school. Now she is nearly fluent.

During her time in Monterey, Smith did not only excel in academics. She also volunteered to present at formal events hosted by the DLI, participated in intramural sports, and assumed leadership roles in her class.

“The Provost’s Award is not merely an acknowledgment of academic competence, but also a celebration of an individual who exemplifies true leadership and dedication to helping others succeed,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Lindsay Sholes, who is the lead French language instructor at the Defense Language Institute. “While at DLI, 1st Lt. Smith was a section leader in her class, where she elevated morale by designing shirts and planning class activities. She also supported the academic success of her classmates by creating and sharing study material to help them tackle difficult concepts.”

Smith’s favorite part of the rigorous curriculum was learning about the real-world utility of the language skills she was developing at DLI. She enjoyed learning how her competencies as a French linguist will enhance her abilities as a civil affairs officer and advance the U.S. Army’s missions around the world.

“The applied operational language classes taught us about critical military and civilian issues in francophone countries and introduced us to the cultural components of the language,” said Smith. “For us [the French students], we focused a lot on Africa.”

Sholes said that Smith is now, “headed to serve her new battalion as a highly qualified French linguist, having been on the Dean’s List every semester.”

Smith’s next assignment will take her to the 478th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) in Miami, where she will be a team leader. She will not be a complete stranger in her new unit. The incoming battalion commander, Lt. Col. Courtenay Cullen, is also an alum of the 353rd CACOM. The 478th Civil Affairs Battalion is an airborne battalion, so Smith will next be heading to the U.S. Army Airborne School in Fort Moore, Georgia.

The 353rd CACOM is a civil affairs unit assigned to U.S. Army Special Operations Command. It is principally comprised of senior soldiers and officers with particular expertise in a broad range of skills in civil-military matters used for furthering global stability. For more information, visit https://www.usar.army.mil/USACAPOC/353rdCACOM/.