Global Linguist Solutions
| Company type | Partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Professional services, Linguistic services |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Herndon, Virginia , United States |
| Products | Interpretation, translation, linguistic assistance |
| Parent | DynCorp International (majority stakeholder), McNeil Technologies (partner, acquired by AECOM in 2010) |
Global Linguist Solutions (GLS) is a U.S.-based professional services contractor located in Herndon, Virginia. It played a central role as the leading supplier of interpreters, translators, and linguistic assistance during the Iraq War.
History
Established in 2006 as a partnership between DynCorp International (holding the majority stake) and McNeil Technologies, GLS grew significantly following McNeil’s 2010 acquisition by AECOM Technology Corporation for $355 million.
In December 2006, GLS was awarded a substantial $4.6 billion contract spanning five years to oversee translation and interpretation services for the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) based at Fort Belvoir. This agreement supported the U.S. Army along with other governmental entities engaged in the Iraq conflict.
The contract award was contested by the incumbent provider L-3 Communications, with the General Accountability Office (GAO) upholding the protest. After an expedited review process and issuance of a revised Request for Proposal, GLS regained the contract in December 2007. Subsequent protests and corrective procedures resulted in GLS being selected once more in February 2008.
By July 2011, GLS had been designated as one of six competitors vying for task orders under the $9.7 billion Department of Defense Language Interpretation Translation Enterprise (DLITE) contract. This contract, granted by the Department of the Army, encompassed translation and interpretation services tailored for Force Projection Operations.
Leadership
James A. Marks was GLS’s inaugural CEO until his departure in April 2009. Following him, John Houck assumed the role of General Manager until September 2010.
In September 2010, Dr. Charles (Chuck) Tolleson took over as President and General Manager. Later, Tom Fish became General Manager in August 2014 and was elevated to President & General Manager in January 2015.
Controversies
In August 2008, GLS came under investigation by the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan due to concerns about excessive expenditures and inadequate contract oversight. Auditors identified roughly $5 million allocated toward upscale lodging and vehicles for contractor personnel, alongside delays in deploying linguists to Iraq.
A 2013 conflict between GLS and a Kuwaiti sponsorship firm resulted in nearly 100 American Arabic linguists stationed at key Middle Eastern Army bases being unable to leave their assignments out of fear of detention by Kuwaiti officials. Several linguists were detained near base entrances, held temporarily in Kuwaiti detention facilities, and subsequently returned to the United States.