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Intelligence officer board

Matthew10

Well-Known Member
I am currently elisted in the Air Force in the intelligence career field and I have been in for 4 years. I'm looking to transition into the navy as an intelligence navel officer. I just took my ASTB and my OAR score was 49. My other scores were 4/5/5 My B.A. Is in intelligence studies and I have a 3.5 GPA. I'm going to submit my packet with my letter of intent in Ocotober for the new fiscal year. How are my scores? Do I have a chance with my background and experience? Is there anything else I need to know before October? Thank you for your comments and post. Anything is helpful!
 

LFCFan

*Insert nerd wings here*
If you're going to be successful, you need to write and spell better than you have here.

Prior intel experience is a very good thing as far as the board goes. ASTB scores are no longer a part of the package to be an intel officer. Your OAR might need to improve a bit, but someone else can expand more on that.

Also, if you don't mind my asking, what is your motive for switching branches, or are you applying to both the Navy and AF? Naval intelligence is quite different from the Air Force. Just want to make sure you've done your homework.
 

MGB001

Member
It is very difficult to predict selection chances for any IDC designator. The 'whole-person' concept seems to be very much in play so I would recommend having a fantastic motivational statement about why you want to be a part of the IDC. OAR score is good but if you have the time I would recommend studying to improve your score and give your package a little more edge. OAR certainly isn't the be all, end all from what I've observed though. I don't know what your situation is with the Air Force but I would recommend submitting for the next Intel board as soon as you are able to and feel confident with your package. It is fairly common for boards to get cancelled and that can lead to a longer than anticipated wait to be looked at.

Best of luck to you!
 

Matthew10

Well-Known Member
If you're going to be successful, you need to write and spell better than you have here.

Prior intel experience is a very good thing as far as the board goes. ASTB scores are no longer a part of the package to be an intel officer. Your OAR might need to improve a bit, but someone else can expand more on that.

Also, if you don't mind my asking, what is your motive for switching branches, or are you applying to both the Navy and AF? Naval intelligence is quite different from the Air Force. Just want to make sure you've done your homework.

I am currently applying for both the Navy and AF. The only differences that I know of are just from what I have read on the Navel Intelligence career page. That probably gives a very broad description though. I'm not sure what other Navy career field I can go into with my degree so that's why it was an option. Thoughts?
 

Matthew10

Well-Known Member
It is very difficult to predict selection chances for any IDC designator. The 'whole-person' concept seems to be very much in play so I would recommend having a fantastic motivational statement about why you want to be a part of the IDC. OAR score is good but if you have the time I would recommend studying to improve your score and give your package a little more edge. OAR certainly isn't the be all, end all from what I've observed though. I don't know what your situation is with the Air Force but I would recommend submitting for the next Intel board as soon as you are able to and feel confident with your package. It is fairly common for boards to get cancelled and that can lead to a longer than anticipated wait to be looked at.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks for the reply. I just don't want to retake it and make a lower score and that one count. The earliest board I will be able to apply to will be the October board, mainly because it's going to take a few months for me to get my conditional release. I have a letter of intent already for the Air Force but I am going to tailor it to the Navy and submit that one.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the reply. I just don't want to retake it and make a lower score and that one count. The earliest board I will be able to apply to will be the October board, mainly because it's going to take a few months for me to get my conditional release. I have a letter of intent already for the Air Force but I am going to tailor it to the Navy and submit that one.

Are you a power-point king? :) if so you should be good to go.. but seriously, your OAR is fine as it is barely looked at, they look more at GPA, Degree, and what else have you done.

The last board already picked for the next FY, hell some guys that were picked last year aren't going to OCS until the middle or end of this year, there is no October board, there is one is September and one in December but don't count on both of those happening. The selection rate for IDC is low it can vary from 3-14% with the average about 10%
 

Matthew10

Well-Known Member
Are you a power-point king? :) if so you should be good to go.. but seriously, your OAR is fine as it is barely looked at, they look more at GPA, Degree, and what else have you done.

The last board already picked for the next FY, hell some guys that were picked last year aren't going to OCS until the middle or end of this year, there is no October board, there is one is September and one in December but don't count on both of those happening. The selection rate for IDC is low it can vary from 3-14% with the average about 10%

Oh yea September. As long as I get in I don't mind waiting till next year to leave just as long as it happens. I'm use to PowerPoint and give briefs all the time. Will I be dealing with UAV's at all? I work with them currently. And I guess I should be good then based off experience, prior service, and my degree in intelligence.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Oh yea September. As long as I get in I don't mind waiting till next year to leave just as long as it happens. I'm use to PowerPoint and give briefs all the time. Will I be dealing with UAV's at all? I work with them currently. And I guess I should be good then based off experience, prior service, and my degree in intelligence.

I can just tell you about the history of those picked up, the Intel Officers I worked with joked all the time that they never thought they would be doing some much powerpoint, LFCFan can give you more info than I could on what else besides powerpoint
 

LFCFan

*Insert nerd wings here*
I am currently applying for both the Navy and AF. The only differences that I know of are just from what I have read on the Navel Intelligence career page. That probably gives a very broad description though. I'm not sure what other Navy career field I can go into with my degree so that's why it was an option. Thoughts?

So the obvious is that we 'own' maritime intelligence. Culturally, we are expected to be more well rounded and less specialized than the AF. We are less interested in the technical stuff, and also more interested in operational and strategic (vice tactical) intel than the AF.

If you do a full career, you can be in a fighter squadron one tour, making powerpoints about subs on some staff the next tour, doing some sexy SOF or humint job (not likely but bear with me) after that, then be part of the crew on a large deck ship the next tour, rinse, repeat. The idea is that by the time you are senior enough to be some kind of N2 that you're smart enough on a lot of stuff to keep the admirals up to speed, vice being some kind of SME. There are pros and cons to both approaches. The upside is that we have more well rounded leaders, the downside is that sometimes you need senior SMEs in areas that aren't just Iranian patrol boats (or insert any maritime area here). The well roundedness stuff is needed since you could be advising on air, land, and sea operations vice mostly just air.

And a squadron tour in the Navy is VERY different from the AF. Although there are some that want to change that, myself included, but that's a different conversation. I just point that out to say that if you're already in a squadron and want to go back as an officer, don't expect to have the quite the same job as your boss if you come over to the Navy.

My frame of reference is that my brother is an AF intel O, and what more senior intel folks tell me.
 

JazzAviator

New Member
You're really going to have to bring your "A" game to the panel board. My first question is whether you want to go the OCS route, or the DCO route. There are plenty of differences, pros, and cons of each. If you plan to go DCO, you'll need to bolster your letter of intent and your resume. Each cycle gets increasingly more difficult for selection. The panel boards for DCO rarely ask yoou questions about your experience, education, or expertise. They will ask you character type questions. For example, "You're a new ensign and division officer. The skipper gives you a task for your division to complete. While you are briefing your division on that task, the Chief says he knows a good way to get it done and starts to take over your spot light. What do you do?" There were lots of questions on integrity and ethics as well. "chief comes in drunk to work, what do you do?" stuff like that.

These questions are designed to weed out the people that will not make quality leaders. The reality is that nearly everyone who applies are equally as qualified to do the job of an Intel Officer. But not everyone has equal leadership abilities. For example, I was deployed with an air force TSgt who wanted to cross into the Navy Reserves as an 1835. He was a (AFSC) 1A8X2 working for AFSOC. He had a bachelor's degree in Intelligence Studies from AMU. and a MSSI from NIU. He was not selected for DCO. The selection odds may be at 15%, but the competition is incredibly steep. Prepare yourself now, get some LORs from flag/general officers, congressmen, or the like. Ensure that those LOR's reflect your high quality leadership capability with verifiable numbers and data. When you write your EPR, make sure there are numbers in there that reflect how many people you supervised and what they were able to accomplish under your direction.

I am still waiting for the results to come out for this past spring's DCO board. I am a 12 year IS1, five warfare pins, a bachelor's, master's, Eagle Scout, black belt, pilot's license, demonstrated leadership, special operations experience, etc... I'm not so optimistic that even with my qualifications that I will be accepted and awarded a commission.
 

Matthew10

Well-Known Member
You're really going to have to bring your "A" game to the panel board. My first question is whether you want to go the OCS route, or the DCO route. There are plenty of differences, pros, and cons of each. If you plan to go DCO, you'll need to bolster your letter of intent and your resume. Each cycle gets increasingly more difficult for selection. The panel boards for DCO rarely ask yoou questions about your experience, education, or expertise. They will ask you character type questions. For example, "You're a new ensign and division officer. The skipper gives you a task for your division to complete. While you are briefing your division on that task, the Chief says he knows a good way to get it done and starts to take over your spot light. What do you do?" There were lots of questions on integrity and ethics as well. "chief comes in drunk to work, what do you do?" stuff like that.

These questions are designed to weed out the people that will not make quality leaders. The reality is that nearly everyone who applies are equally as qualified to do the job of an Intel Officer. But not everyone has equal leadership abilities. For example, I was deployed with an air force TSgt who wanted to cross into the Navy Reserves as an 1835. He was a (AFSC) 1A8X2 working for AFSOC. He had a bachelor's degree in Intelligence Studies from AMU. and a MSSI from NIU. He was not selected for DCO. The selection odds may be at 15%, but the competition is incredibly steep. Prepare yourself now, get some LORs from flag/general officers, congressmen, or the like. Ensure that those LOR's reflect your high quality leadership capability with verifiable numbers and data. When you write your EPR, make sure there are numbers in there that reflect how many people you supervised and what they were able to accomplish under your direction.

I am still waiting for the results to come out for this past spring's DCO board. I am a 12 year IS1, five warfare pins, a bachelor's, master's, Eagle Scout, black belt, pilot's license, demonstrated leadership, special operations experience, etc... I'm not so optimistic that even with my qualifications that I will be accepted and awarded a commission.

Wow seems like you have quiet the resume. I'll be submitting my package for OCS very soon. I'm waiting for my conditional release to get back to me. Honestly it looks like I will be going into surface warfare. Heard anything about it? The only reason I say that is because the Intel boards I want to apply for arent till November. I really don't want to wait that long unless I have to lol.

As far as those same questions about leadership and scenarios, I don't really have a problem answering them. I have just never been in those types of situations. I also just became a supervisor as an enlisted member. I know I have the qualities and leadership mentality to do the job as an officer. I don't really think I go to a panel board. As far as I know I submit my package and a letter of intent with a recommendation letter.
 

JazzAviator

New Member
true. OCS route is different than the DCO route. Active is different than reserve. Find someone who is doing what you want to do and pick their brain. You said you want to go OCS, active duty, and SWO? You dont need help with that. they should pick yoou up with little hesitation.
 

Matthew10

Well-Known Member
I mean I do prefer intelligence and if I don't get it at first I will definatly change careers in the future. What made you go DCO?
 

JazzAviator

New Member
For me, I just wanted to wake up one morning and have my commission. After 12 years in the Navy, I'm fairly confident I've seen and acquired the requisite skills to be an effective ensign. Just didn't make much sense for me to have some gunny yell at me and tell me how to hold a fork and knife.

I had half a notion to go LDO, but my career goal is to be a full bird in a command billet before i retire. Cant very well do that as an LDO.
 

Matthew10

Well-Known Member
Interesting. That would be awesome to wake up one morning and be one ha. I don't really want to have to go trough OCS either but I didn't really know there were other options. Oh well. What is LDO? Sorry I'm not familiar with some of these abbreviations.
 
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