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Defense Language Institute

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
Thanks! That's helpful - I'm going through their FB page now to look over all the info. There's some mentions of Cryptology (like you mentioned the name is now Crypto) which is what I was hoping to do. I know to be an actual linguistic cryptologist you have to be enlisted rather than officer, which is why my recruiter suggested aiming for and IWC position since then I might have more of a chance to actually use my language skills (my major in undergrad was my language and I went to grad school where courses were taught using the language) rather than start over with completely new training and essentially erase the last 5 years of everything I've learned. Would I be correct to assume your suggestion would be aim more for FAO?

I know Nuke officers that have used language skills more than Crypto officers, in fact most Crypto officers I put in didn't speak any foreign language, one has been in 4 years and hasn't left the US, you have a better chance using your language skills ordering at some exotic restaurant than as a Crypto officer. If you want to use your language skills then go enlisted.

FAO is a designator that you lateral transfer in to after serving as an officer for a specified amount of time, do a search for FAO and read the thread, several FAO's have posted on that thread.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
If you want to use your language skills then go enlisted.
Or take the foreign service exam and work for the State Dept, or one of the three letter agencies. To the OP, if you're that interested in a gig that involves foreign language use, why join the Navy? Not a lot of opportunity for that as a new accession. Other services may offer you more on that front.
 

SharkBait93

SharkBait
Very helpful - thank you! Interesting to learn IWC doesn't have language opportunities. I'll look into the FAO details and other linguistic options and review it all again with my recruiter - I must have misunderstood what was communicated to me before.
 

SharkBait93

SharkBait
Or take the foreign service exam and work for the State Dept, or one of the three letter agencies. To the OP, if you're that interested in a gig that involves foreign language use, why join the Navy? Not a lot of opportunity for that as a new accession. Other services may offer you more on that front.
I've considered other three letter groups but after discussion with various contacts I was advised to go military first and that would later translate into a position with one of those security groups, be they government or private. I chose Navy because I knew a few Linguistic Cryptologists and Navy Pilots who have also been advising me about various options within the Navy. I'm hoping to use my language skills in some capacity, but if it comes down to it I'm willing to take another officer position and keep my language active on my own for something post-Navy. Right now I'm trying to find all the possible officer positions where I could use the language to make sure I'm aware of all opportunities before making a final decision about which route to take.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
I've considered other three letter groups but after discussion with various contacts I was advised to go military first and that would later translate into a position with one of those security groups, be they government or private. I chose Navy because I knew a few Linguistic Cryptologists and Navy Pilots who have also been advising me about various options within the Navy. I'm hoping to use my language skills in some capacity, but if it comes down to it I'm willing to take another officer position and keep my language active on my own for something post-Navy. Right now I'm trying to find all the possible officer positions where I could use the language to make sure I'm aware of all opportunities before making a final decision about which route to take.

We really don't know much about you, age is a factor, as is GPA and degree for many designators.
 

SharkBait93

SharkBait
We really don't know much about you, age is a factor, as is GPA and degree for many designators.
I'm finishing grad school now - age 23. Graduated Undergrad with GPA 3.6. Grad school GPA still not final but should be in a similar range (3.5+). I'm in the process of applying for OCS, still have all my tests (OAR/ASTB/MEPS/DLPT) to take after graduation this summer. Background in International Relations and East Asian Studies with a focus on China and Mandarin Chinese language.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
...Would I be correct to assume your suggestion would be aim more for FAO?

FAO's are lateral transfers, officers generally with roughly at least 8-12 years experience in their original career fields to include everything from aviators to IWC officers. You don't enter the Navy as an FAO.

Language training is a specialty in the Navy where officers are generalists, if the Navy needs an officer to speak a language they will teach it to them. Your recruiter is right that you might have a chance to utilize it more as an IWC officer but it will be something you do on the side at best and likely not at all, especially not as a primary job. Your language study might not be a complete waste but the Navy isn't going to care a whole lot unfortunately as a brand new officer. The State Department and some civilian Intel agencies would likely be much more interested in your fluency.

...Background in International Relations and East Asian Studies with a focus on China and Mandarin Chinese language.

Some civilian Intel agencies would definitely be interested in that.

Edit: it took me a while to write this post so I am just restating what Brett and others have said, but the fact remains that as an officer in the Navy language skills would be ancillary at best to you main duties even as an IWC officer.
 
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SharkBait93

SharkBait
FAO's are lateral transfers, officers generally with roughly at least 8-12 years experience in their original career fields to include everything from aviators to IWC officers. You don't enter the Navy as an FAO.

Language training is a specialty in the Navy where officers are generalists, if the Navy needs an officer to speak a language they will teach it to them. Your recruiter is right that you might have a chance to utilize it more as an IWC officer but it will be something you do on the side at best and likely not at all, especially not as a primary job. Your language study might not be a complete waste but the Navy isn't going to care a whole lot unfortunately as a brand new officer. The State Department and some civilian Intel agencies would likely be much more interested in your fluency.



Some civilian Intel agencies would definitely be interested in that.

Edit: it took me a while to write this post so I am just restating what Brett and others have said, but the fact remains that as an officer in the Navy language skills would be ancillary at best to you main duties even as an IWC officer.


Thanks for the background info! That sounds similar to what my recruiter mentioned but a bit more realistic about the language usage (well, lack thereof). When I first started looking at security-based private/gov organizations I found a lot of interest but nothing ever came of it. Ultimately I found the main reason was (at least on the private security group spectrum) was a lack of SIGINT experience and they weren't going to hire someone off the street who they had to back for clearances and train, etc. Similar problems with gov organizations but other issues were there too that I won't go into. That's when I started reaching out to Navy contacts and they told me about the various opportunities as an officer (and enlisted, but I've been advised to do OCS now since I'm already done grad school) where I may be able to use my language skills.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Thanks for the background info! That sounds similar to what my recruiter mentioned but a bit more realistic about the language usage (well, lack thereof). When I first started looking at security-based private/gov organizations I found a lot of interest but nothing ever came of it. Ultimately I found the main reason was (at least on the private security group spectrum) was a lack of SIGINT experience and they weren't going to hire someone off the street who they had to back for clearances and train, etc. Similar problems with gov organizations but other issues were there too that I won't go into. That's when I started reaching out to Navy contacts and they told me about the various opportunities as an officer (and enlisted, but I've been advised to do OCS now since I'm already done grad school) where I may be able to use my language skills.

Most government organizations that would utilize your language skills (State, Intel, etc) have a career track that is similar to a military officers, bringing them in as 'junior officers', train them up and set them loose on the world. For many military experience is a plus but very rarely a necessity. In today's budget environment some places have slowed hiring, so that might be part of the issue with some civilian agencies. That might have been your first experience with two ever present factors in a government career, luck and timing.

One thing to note about foreign languages in the military, the language skills utilized for most enlisted folks in the military is a specialized skill that has a very specific purpose and that doesn't always mean that normal fluency is required, needed or utilized.

IWC/Intel will give you the experience necessary to try and strike out on the intel career path if that is what you want to do but I'll leave it to the recruiters here to say whether or not you have a decent chance or not. I will say that your chances are 0% if you don't apply, you seem to be on the right path getting all your ducks in a row so far to apply though.
 

SharkBait93

SharkBait
Most government organizations that would utilize your language skills (State, Intel, etc) have a career track that is similar to a military officers, bringing them in as 'junior officers', train them up and set them loose on the world. For many military experience is a plus but very rarely a necessity. In today's budget environment some places have slowed hiring, so that might be part of the issue with some civilian agencies. That might have been your first experience with two ever present factors in a government career, luck and timing.

One thing to note about foreign languages in the military, the language skills utilized for most enlisted folks in the military is a specialized skill that has a very specific purpose and that doesn't always mean that normal fluency is required, needed or utilized.

IWC/Intel will give you the experience necessary to try and strike out on the intel career path if that is what you want to do but I'll leave it to the recruiters here to say whether or not you have a decent chance or not. I will say that your chances are 0% if you don't apply, you seem to be on the right path getting all your ducks in a row so far to apply though.
Thanks! I agree with you about the luck and timing issue. The places where I found openings were looking for already highly skilled personnel, or I just never heard back for whatever reason. When I started hearing from the Navy my various contacts and my recruiter all showed interest and actually offered opportunities to me where I might be able to use them, as well as other opportunities that aren't linguistically based.
I'd rather stay on this path and at least be an officer in the Navy, even if I ultimately don't get to use my language as part of my work.
 

Hair Warrior

Well-Known Member
Contributor
/minor threadjack

I've been following this thread with interest. I've tried to take the DLPT or DLAB through DLI in order to add it to my DCO application.

I contacted DLI a couple times, but haven't heard back. Since I am not a Federal civilian or in the military, can I still take the DLPT or DLAB? If so, where do I sign up? If not, is there a commercial equivalent that would look good on a DCO application?

Much obliged.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
....I'd rather stay on this path and at least be an officer in the Navy, even if I ultimately don't get to use my language as part of my work.

That is the right attitude to have. In the long run your language skills could be a very valuable asset in or out of the military, there aren't a lot of fluent Chinese speakers running around the Navy or government in general. Coupled with experience in the Navy it could be an asset as you look at other things to do further in your career down the road either in or out of the service.

Best of luck.
 

egiv

Well-Known Member
To echo what's already been said, Cryptologic Warfare Officers never have to use or speak a foreign language for our job. That said, regional, cultural and even language expertise on China is a valuable asset. You will be in charge of CTIs and will most likely work on the Asia-Pacific target set at some point (and we have a surprising amount of influence over our career paths, unlike many other officer communities). With the heavy favoring of STEM backgrounds, a lot of CWOs are very technically proficient but lack the political/regional knowledge as context. The hard part will be getting selected without a STEM background, but it can be done.

Also, being that most new CWOs are stationed at large civilian intelligence agencies (one in particular), you will have a lot of opportunity to network if that is your long-term goal. You might find that you like the Navy more.
 

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
...Cryptologic Warfare Officers....CWOs....

Small suggestion, probably not a good idea to refer to 'Cryptologic Warfare Officers' as 'CWOs' since that abbreviation is already used to refer to Chief Warrant Officers and will just confuse folks.
 

HH-60H

Manager
pilot
Contributor
Some civilian Intel agencies would definitely be interested in that.

That's a key qualifier.... Some Intel agencies care almost nothing about foreign language skills. Even with the agencies that do care, it's usually not even the whole agency. You have to know which part you are applying for. I've seen plenty of disappointed new employees who don't get to use their language skills in the office they ended up in.
 
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