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Contract Options / Analysis

mrh001

Registered User
Hey guys,
I was just wondering if it's possible to go contract, like the law and air guys do, to be guaranteed Intel? Also, does Marine Intel provide the opportunity for analysis-type billets say at CentCom or the Pentagon? Any more insight into how it compares to Navy intel is also greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
mrh
 

gaijin6423

Ask me about ninjas!
Sorry, but if you want to be an Intel Officer in the Marines, you'll have to compete for a spot at TBS. Whether it's air, ground, signals, or human intel, each TBS company has a certain number of spots (depending on what the Corps needs at that time), and those billets are assigned to the Lieutenants.
 

Crowbar

New Member
None
Look, I'm not pulling the 'Marine first' card here. Decide which service better suits you. The Marine Corps isn't for everybody. Nor is the Navy for everybody. Find out which one you would be a better fit in. Then worry about the job you do.
You'll be a lot better off in the right service with the 'wrong' job than in the wrong service with the 'right' job.
 

mrh001

Registered User
Let's say I chose the Marine Corps...are there opportunities for lateral transfers after the JO level?
 

Crowbar

New Member
None
Okay. This isn't the first thread you've asked 'what's the difference between Navy and Marine intel fields?' Getting intel in the Marine Corps is not an easy task. For my TBS company of about 150 ground assignable officers, we had ~10 or 12 intel spots (ground, air, human, signals combined total). Do the math if you want. Certain types of intel (human source for example) have only 1 or 2 per company. And signals spots (from what I've seen anyway) often go to people who have experience as translators. Ground intel spots were pretty much hand picked and went to the people who were/wanted to be infantry officers but wanted a little 'variety' in the jobs they could do. Which leaves air intel. A ground officer in a squadron full of pilots.

Nor is it the first time you've asked about lat moves. Getting one of those in any service is not something you should set as one of your main goals. I.e. "I'll get commissioned, do intel for a few years, then become an X officer after that." Yes, it does happen. I can't speak for the Navy but I know from time to time the Marine Corps runs short on people in certain MOSs (adjutant, supply, aviation supply are the ones I've seen) and lets officers do a tour in those fields (I used to work with an artillery officer who was doing a SMOS tour as an aviation supply officer). But generally speaking, job-hopping is not something the armed forces look too highly upon. To quote one of the smartest things my recruiter ever told me "You might be able to lat move once. But if you expect to change jobs more than once you need to join the circus."

Think long and hard about what you want to do. It's good to ask these kinds of questions, but be prepared that things might not always work out in your favor. There is, however, a good chance you'll end up liking what you do. I know I enlisted under the "avionics" field and didn't get an MOS I wanted. Well I ended up liking it. And I did okay with it. Like I said, pick your lifestyle (service) first, job second. Not bashing the Navy, but I would be happier as a Marine in pretty much any MOS than as a Navy anything. It's just not for me.
 
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