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Kwikpoint Aids Joint Forces Abroad With Multi-Service Visual Language Translator. Developed in Cooperation with Special Operations Forces and the U.S. Marines to Meet Critical Need of Military Foreign Language Specialists

By Anonymous

Alexandria, VA - Gaia Communications, publisher of the Kwikpoint Visual Language Translator (VLT) tool, announced the availability of the only Kwikpoint VLT developed in cooperation with U.S. Special Forces, Marines, Army, Navy and Air Force.

Designed to deploy across forces, including Civil Affairs, the Kwikpoint Multi Service VLT allows instant face-to-face communication through pictures that users point to in order to describe items ranging from land mines and tanks to medical trauma symptoms to humanitarian needs.

The Multi Service VLT is a unique low-tech solution because it is lighter weight—a mere 16 grams-- than previous Kwikpoint VLTs. It is waterproof, tear resistant and produced on synthetic paper with muted colors and careful attention to non-reflective qualities.

“As various services deploy to Iraq and other countries, the new Kwikpoint Multi Service VLT is deploying with them for use in differing missions,” says Alan Stillman, president of Gaia Communications. “Some of those missions include intelligence gathering, terrorist identification, checkpoint operations, medical use, civilian field operations and force protection.”

“The development of the Multi Service Kwikpoint was a joint effort between the Marine Corps, Army, Navy, and U.S. Special Forces," says Michael Meyers, CMFL Science Advisor, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic. “Our goal was an 80% solution--to get the product into the field, kick it around, then refine the graphics for use in any theater. Ideally we'd like to get a visual language translation (VLT) capability to all troops that might need it, particularly in countries with low-density languages. Products like these are a low cost alternative that can easily be customized for use in a host of operational scenarios. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, the VLTs could be worth 10,000 or more.”

Previous Kwikpoints have been deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries. General Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in a letter, “Kwikpoint instruction guides address a subject clearly important to the U.S. Services. The Global War on Terrorism poses unique challenges in communicating with indigenous personnel and visual translators may benefit forces in the field such as those serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom."

“Information and intelligence is gathered through visual identification overcoming terminology and language barriers,” said Mark Roemer of U. S. Special Operations Command. “Radar, SAM and SCUD images from Spoon Rest to Oxidizer Truck to SAM8 allows anyone to point to a picture to describe what they have seen even if they don’t know how to say it. Kwikpoint has been used in Afghanistan and been effective. It’s considered battle tested.”

About Kwikpoint
Kwikpoint has produced five Visual Language Translators for the U.S. Marines, DARPA, Special Operations Forces, U.S. Army and Defense Language Institute. Products in development include a Maritime Kwikpoint, Humanitarian and Military Police Kwikpoint. All VLT content can be customized. Key features can include regional maps, command and control (C2) cards, basic survival phrases in any language, terrorist ID module and more. For information, please visit www.kwikpoint.com/links.html

CONTACTS:
Laura Madonna, Marketing Communications Director, 703-370-5527, LMadonna@Kwikpoint.com

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