Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead, Chief of Joint Capabilities, has written in a newsletter for the Australian Defence College that "mandatory" foreign language training should be part of the courses such as the initial training of cadets, as well as the masters courses for senior leaders of the organisation.

"Too many times whilst deployed I've been warmly greeted by counterparts who speak strong English, only to find that the ADF travelling party (ship or other) has no such reciprocal ability," Vice Admiral Mead wrote.

Actually implementing a mandate for foreign language skills was, however, "work in progress", he added, but one of his priorities.

"I strongly encourage people to look for opportunities to study overseas and in particular those countries in our neighbourhood," he wrote about the experience of recognising his own "ignorance of regional affairs" whilst on a military posting in India in 2007 where he studied and served as a Defence Adviser.

The ADF has encouraged foreign language proficiency since 1944 in response to the need for Japanese linguists during World War II, but previous attempts at mandate proficiency were undone by the cost of continual retaining and need for in-country visits.

Public servants in Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade can receive allowances for maintaining language proficiency.

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