Fort Hood Purchases Wearable Language Translators

Fort Hood Army Base in Texas this week purchased 105 SQUID SQ.200 wearable translation systems from Voxtec International to outfit soldiers about to deploy to the Middle East.

The units, which will provide the soldiers with tactical, one-way translation capabilities in several languages spoken throughout the region, including Arabic, Dari, Iraqi, Kurmanji, Pashto, and Urdu, were selected by Fort Hood as part of the Escalation of Force (EOF) kits provided by Atlantic Diving Supply.
 
"The SQUID is a key component of the Escalation of Force kit," said Sylvain Beaudin, regional account manager for ADS. "By providing accurate translation of key situation-specific phrases, the SQUID allows armed forces personnel to perform their EOF procedures safely and confidently."
 
The voice-activated SQUID SQ.200 comes pre-loaded with more than 2,000 situational phrases  translated and recorded by professional linguists and categorized for easy access. Users select desired phrases and languages through verbal commands; translated phrases are broadcast on the system’s built-in weatherproof speaker or through an attached loudspeaker. Users can also move custom blocks of phrases into a "My Favorites" category to be translated in sequence for specific situations such as a roadside checkpoint or crowd control.
 
"With more than 6,000 of our Phraselator handheld language translation systems currently in use by armed forces personnel overseas, Voxtec understands the critical translation needs of our soldiers," said John T. Hall, president of Voxtec. "We are proud that ADS has selected our hands-free, eyes-free SQUID system for its EOF kit, and pleased that Fort Hood has recognized its value in keeping our soldiers and civilians safe."   

To support its language translation systems, Voxtec produces distinctive language modules in more than 40 languages. Voxtec’s proprietary Module Builder PRO software package enables users to design, customize, and update their own language modules using a computer and a human translator.