In a remarkable display of linguistic expertise, Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) placed first at the 2025 Best Linguist Games, formerly known as the Polyglot Games.

Hosted by the Utah Army National Guard’s 300th Military Intelligence Brigade, the 7th annual event brought together more than 270 military and civilian linguists from across the Department of Defense. The games took place Feb. 6 at the downtown Hyatt Regency.

NAVIFOR, which provides operationally ready information warfare forces to support fleet and joint force commanders worldwide, fielded a seven-person team for the first time this year. Among the team members was Petty Officer 1st Class Anna Bilodeau, a Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) or CTI Sailor assigned to Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Monterey in California.

“We had no expectation that we would win, so when it happened, it was quite a shock, but also all the more exciting,” she said.

A Battle of Words: The Competition

The Best Linguist Games are designed to test military linguists in real-world scenarios, requiring rapid translation and analysis under intense conditions. Teams compete in several events, including:

● Voice intercept: Live translation of intercepted foreign language communications

● Site exploitation: Rapid intelligence gathering from a simulated high-risk environment

● Document exploitation: Extracting key intelligence from foreign documents

● Open-source collection: Analyzing publicly available information to support intelligence operations

● Operational analysis & commander’s brief: Synthesizing linguistic intelligence into actionable reports for senior leadership

For the NAVIFOR team, Bilodeau dedicated time studying French military vocabulary to get ready.

“I was the only trained French linguist on the team,” she added, “so I focused primarily on refining my skills in that language ahead of the competition.”

Victory through teamwork

The NAVIFOR team was composed of diverse and highly skilled linguists and CTI Sailors:

● Bilodeau (French, Arabic) – IWTC Monterey

● Petty Officer 1st Class Samantha Dayton (Chinese, Spanish) – IWTC Monterey Detachment Goodfellow

● Chief Petty Officer Deborah Bowers (Russian, Arabic) – IWTC Monterey Detachment Goodfellow

● Petty Officer 1st Class Albert Solis Sloan (Spanish, Russian) – Cryptologic Warfare Activity 65

● Petty Officer 3rd Class Bashar Akkawi (Arabic) – Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Georgia

● Petty Officer 2nd Class Rebekah Cupitt (Persian) – NIOC Georgia

● Petty Officer 1st Class Ralph Rivera (Korean) – NIOC Pacific

NAVIFOR outperformed 40 teams to claim victory. One of the most intense events was the site exploitation exercise, which tested the team’s ability to operate under simulated combat conditions.

“This competition isn’t just about who can translate the fastest or the most accurately,” Bilodeau said. “It’s about working together, applying our skills in real-world intelligence scenarios that could impact national security.”

That teamwork, along with individual expertise, didn’t go unnoticed.

“Since arriving at IWTC Monterey only four months ago, CTI1 Bilodeau has been a standout Sailor, and her success at the 2025 Best Linguist Games is no surprise to anyone,” said Cmdr. Miles Alvarez, commanding officer of IWTC Monterey. “Her technical skills are what got her recognized and selected for the Navy team, and her outstanding contributions overall helped the Navy win this year’s event.”

Importance of Best Linguist Games

The annual Best Linguist Games is a unique training ground for military linguists, reinforcing the importance of language proficiency, intelligence gathering and analysis in modern warfare. The event also offers military linguists a chance to connect with others they wouldn’t normally meet.

“This competition provided a unique opportunity to network and engage in operational language work that we rarely experience in daily assignments,” Bilodeau said. “The leadership representation that NAVIFOR provided to support us was fantastic; we were able to learn about the CTI community and provide feedback and input in a way that is seldom available to E-6 and below personnel.”

Looking ahead

Bilodeau would like to return to the Best Linguist Games if she has the chance and hopes more Navy linguists will participate.

“I would highly encourage linguists, especially CTIs, to participate,” she said. “Also, if you have language skills, make sure they’re documented. That can open doors to incredible opportunities like this.”

With NAVIFOR’s victory, Bilodeau said she hopes more Navy linguists will be inspired to join the competition, test their skills and continue to strengthen the community of military linguists.

About IWTC Monterey and Detachment Goodfellow

As part of the Center for Information Warfare Training, Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Monterey provides a continuum of foreign language training to Navy personnel, which prepares them to conduct information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.

Detachment Goodfellow aligns under IWTC Monterey and oversees follow-on “A” school accession training for more than 200 Sailors.

With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) provides instruction for over 26,000 students every year, delivering information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services. It also offers more than 200 courses for cryptologic, information systems and electronics technicians, intelligence specialists and officers in the information warfare community.

Go to www.netc.navy.mil/CIWT to learn more about CIWT. For more information about foreign language studies as a Navy career opportunity, visit www.navy.com/careers-benefits/careers/intelligence-information-cryptology/cryptologic-technician-interpretive.

Courtesy Story By Chief Petty Officer Lindsay Fondren and Petty Officer 1st Class Anna Bilodeau, Information Warfare Training Command, Monterey

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