Becoming an Intelligence Officer or Information Warfare Officer

[Jhawk10]

Hi everyone. Sorry to bother you but I just want to ask a few questions. I am applying to become an intel officer or IWO in the Navy. In May I will have a M.A. in International Relations focusing on Russian and Eurasian Studies with a 3.65 GPA. I'm fluent in Russian know some Arabic and have lived abroad for a year. I also did an internship with ATF and obtained a security clearance. I'm almost done with the application took the ASTB once got a 50. I really want Intel or IWO but heard it's very competitive. Do you think I would at least be competitive for a slot? I'm really going to fight for it. Thanks for your time.

 

[revan1013]

Sounds like you will be competitive. There are tons of threads here with people who have asked similar questions. I would peruse those, and if you have any specific questions I'm sure most people here would be happy to answer them.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Hi everyone. Sorry to bother you but I just want to ask a few questions. I am applying to become an intel officer or IWO in the Navy. In May I will have a M.A. in International Relations focusing on Russian and Eurasian Studies with a 3.65 GPA. I'm fluent in Russian know some Arabic and have lived abroad for a year. I also did an internship with ATF and obtained a security clearance. I'm almost done with the application took the ASTB once got a 50. I really want Intel or IWO but heard it's very competitive. Do you think I would at least be competitive for a slot? I'm really going to fight for it. Thanks for your time.

Are you on AD? Do you have a technical degree? If the answer is no to both than you will have an uphill battle. On a recent board they only selected those on AD, and when they do select those that aren't AD they normally have a tech degree, mine had degrees in physics, math, etc....

The big question you need to answer would be is your goal to be a USN officer or to do a specific job?

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

I can tell you it's extremely competitive to get selected into any IDC program if you're not prior/current enlisted. I had a recruiter with an applicant with similar stats to you. He also got an O-6 interview with flying colors and didn't get picked up.

By no means am I trying to scare you, just presenting the facts. You have an uphill battle to overcome if IDC programs is all you want. Is there anything else you've checked out?

 

[azguy]

JHawk, sounds like you have a great resume man, is your undergrad GPA decent? I'll offer another perspective. Navy intel isn't what many people expect - a great quote I heard on here is that it's 'much more like Janes, than James Bond.' Military intelligence can be a bit dull. I think it's better to be the operational customer of intel products than the guy making them, in the Navy at least. For what it's worth, if you want to be a pilot, SWO, etc, you always an option to get a taste of intel - there are 4 or 5 three-letter intel agencies in DC that take warfare officers for a shore tour.

If intel is your passion, I would apply to a civilian position with an intel agency in DC. You definitely have a background they like.

 

[LFCFan]

azguy is pretty spot on that it is probably better to be the customer of intel than the creator. Having said that, I'm so glad that I'm in intel and not a SWO, and really do find the "Jane's" to be really interesting.

Your background does look a bit more CIA than navy intel. Most of the work we do isn't overly technical, but it isn't thinking the big thoughts about geopolitics and world events, either.

 

[azguy]

azguy is pretty spot on that it is probably better to be the customer of intel than the creator. Having said that, I'm so glad that I'm in intel and not a SWO, and really do find the "Jane's" to be really interesting.

To be fair, you say that without any frame of reference. I'm telling you, as someone who has worked in both worlds, I showed up to the IC with an intel lat transfer package halfway complete and tore it up in pretty short order; it takes all types though. I just think Navy intel is misunderstood. I saw first hand what the mission was after years in the Navy and was pretty surprised - certainly most civilians will have no idea either.

For a guy that's studied Russian, lived overseas, and is passionate about intel first and foremost, an IC agency that does intel as a primary mission is a better fit than the Navy where the line communities run the show. On the other hand, the Navy needs smart 1830s who are dedicated to their mission and able to work in a dynamic environment (i.e. squadron tour to beltway watchfloor to Seal team or Desron). It's just always best for people to go in with eyes wide open.

 

[LFCFan]

To be fair, you say that without any frame of reference.

I think you mean without personal experience vice frame of reference - I generally do not hear positive things about life as a SWO, and most of it comes from SWOs themselves.

I just think Navy intel is misunderstood. I saw first hand what the mission was after years in the Navy and was pretty surprised - certainly most civilians will have no idea either.

....

For a guy that's studied Russian, lived overseas, and is passionate about intel first and foremost, an IC agency that does intel as a primary mission is a better fit than the Navy where the line communities run the show. On the other hand, the Navy needs smart 1830s who are dedicated to their mission and able to work in a dynamic environment (i.e. squadron tour to beltway watchfloor to Seal team or Desron). It's just always best for people to go in with eyes wide open.

I agree completely, which is why I jump in these threads and try to explain what Navy intel does. I did my homework beforehand, and am glad to be where I am as someone who provides support to operations.

 

[Renegade One]

I generally do not hear positive things about life as a SWO, and most of it comes from SWOs themselves.

An issue that will never be solved on this forum…if at all. Don't ask me why...

 

[egiv]

Hi everyone. Sorry to bother you but I just want to ask a few questions. I am applying to become an intel officer or IWO in the Navy. In May I will have a M.A. in International Relations focusing on Russian and Eurasian Studies with a 3.65 GPA. I'm fluent in Russian know some Arabic and have lived abroad for a year. I also did an internship with ATF and obtained a security clearance. I'm almost done with the application took the ASTB once got a 50. I really want Intel or IWO but heard it's very competitive. Do you think I would at least be competitive for a slot? I'm really going to fight for it. Thanks for your time.

If you want it, go for it no matter what anyone says. I have a very similar background (MA IR, speak Italian and Spanish, internship w State Dept in DC, 54 OAR) and was selected IWO last August. Not to say anything is guaranteed, but you'll never know if you don't try. Just my $0.02.

 

[Jhawk10]

Thanks everyone for the info appreciate it. I'll look into this some more.

 

[supertuxx]

I understand this is a bit of a generic quesiton, but I was wondering if someone could fill me in on the type of work an IWO would be doing day-to-day. Initially I was interested in Cyber Warfare Engineer, but my university wasn't a part of the NSA's CAE. I'm interested in penetration testing and ethical hacking, and would like to know if I could be doing that type of work as an IWO. My recruiter informed me that officers were only allowed to be CWE for a maximum of 5 years which they have to switch to IWO anyway.

 

[Flash]

I understand this is a bit of a generic quesiton, but I was wondering if someone could fill me in on the type of work an IWO would be doing day-to-day. Initially I was interested in Cyber Warfare Engineer, but my university wasn't a part of the NSA's CAE. I'm interested in penetration testing and ethical hacking, and would like to know if I could be doing that type of work as an IWO. My recruiter informed me that officers were only allowed to be CWE for a maximum of 5 years which they have to switch to IWO anyway.

As an officer you would be doing more management of enlisted folks or programs as you move up the ranks which is why such specialization is not usually done for a long period of time. Over your career move every 2 to 3 years from billet to billet and one will be often be completely different than the other. If you are interested in such specialization and focus on a particular discipline like that it might be better to look at doing that as a civilian, you can specialize as a civil servant or contractor in a single area for your whole career if you wanted.

 

[supertuxx]

If you are interested in such specialization and focus on a particular discipline like that it might be better to look at doing that as a civilian, you can specialize as a civil servant or contractor in a single area for your whole career if you wanted.

That's what I'm sturggling to decide between. I was originally trying to get into the USAF, but the recruiter informed me it would be about a year before any cyber positions were available on the boards.

Would the 182x or 183x designators (or any others) be closer to this type of specialization? At this point I guess I'm just trying to weigh all of my options between anything the USN can provide, and what I can find as a civilian.

 

[Flash]

That's what I'm sturggling to decide between. I was originally trying to get into the USAF, but the recruiter informed me it would be about a year before any cyber positions were available on the boards.

Would the 182x or 183x designators (or any others) be closer to this type of specialization? At this point I guess I'm just trying to weigh all of my options between anything the USN can provide, and what I can find as a civilian.

No, as an officer you are expected to be more of a 'generalist' and not a specialist no matter the designator, the specialists in the Navy are the enlisted, Warrant Officers and Limted Duty Officers (both LDOs and CWOs come up through the enlisted ranks in the Navy). The USAF does offer more specilization for officers but even then you eventually move up from doing the actual work to leading the folks doing it and managing programs.