Your main concerns for all of the IWC communities (INTEL, IP, CW, METOC) are going to be:
- 2 week DCOIC at Newport, RI, within 1 year of commissioning
- 3 week IWBC (formerly IDBC) at IWTC VB, Dam Neck, VA
- Community-required courses: NIOBC, IPBC, CWOBC (formerly IWBC) (usually year 2 from commissioning, all different lengths)
- Community PQS and qualification within 3 years of commissioning* (at which point you are deployable)
- IWO (formerly IDWO) PQS and qualification within 5 years of commissioning*
CNIFR will release people for non-attain of qualifications on these timelines unless there is a waiver with clear rationale. Some recent figures have shown that the reserve cryptologic community is losing a full one third (!) of our DCO accessions for non-attain or similar reasons once the 5 year mark started rolling around.
Bottom line is that you will have a significant time commitment in the first few years after commissioning to become an officer that is actually able to execute our missions in accordance with all of these requirements. And though CNIFR directive says that a new officer's only priority should be obtaining their quals, the reality at most commands, especially smaller ones, is that you will also be learning how to run a Navy Reserve unit, and doing things like handling administrative, training, medical, readiness, and other requirements for the unit. Every unit is different, but this is generally consistent across the IWC.
That said, the experience is what you make of it, and in the 7 years since I first commented in this thread I have been able to do things I never imagined would be possible! Good luck!
* Or from final adjudication of SCI.