To be honest, I think the previous process for 1835 recruitment broke this mold. There was a stretch where the Intel folks were trying to recruit "cross-domain" specialists to augment specific technical leadership roles in the Intel space where they saw "gaps". I think they've recovered from this thinking for now (because the Navy has other designators that can fill these roles!).
Beyond this though, people can still pass through the filters and end up in place they don't belong, which speaks to your premise that the DCO process should be revamped. However I would argue there probably needs to be more interviews, not less!
To add to this: a smart
and motivated individual can become an extremely competent intelligence professional in the Navy Reserve with zero prior intel experience.
That person needs to do the following:
- Self-study prior to applying/commissioning, and after commissioning well above and beyond one weekend a month, two weeks a year - there are tons of unclassified intelligence materials, podcasts, texbooks, memoirs, documentary films, etc. out there at low/no cost
- Take NIOBC phases I and II seriously, despite those being not terribly hard, and pursue the 100% rather than the minimums to pass
- Similar to the above: don’t gundeck or skate through your PQS quals; take them seriously and aim to knock it out of the park rather than barely pass
- Find at least one solid mentor who has real world full time IC experience to help you learn the profession and hone your skill set, and has the time to invest in your progress
- Network the heck out of the Navy Reserve IWC and expand your awareness of what others do to be successful
- Jump on E-AT, ADT, ADSW/ADOS, and Mob orders to do intelligence full time, as feasible
If you’re smart enough to get selected for 1835 without prior intel experience (which typically requires a graduate degree) you can master anything if you’re motivated and put in the ~10,000 hours it takes to master something.
The Navy Reserve appreciates STEM backgrounds and foreign languages not because you’ll use them and rely on them as your main expertise, but rather because they hope it will be complementary as you learn your intelligence professional expertise.
TL;DR: grow where you’re planted, be humble, and learn in excess of the minimum learning