What makes Navy Intel so highly regarded?

[unbroken]

Personal bias aside (!), it seems that within the intel community, Naval intelligence is accorded the highest regard within the US military. Obviously, exceptions will exist among individual leaders, sailors, etc. But on aggregate, it seems to be held in very high esteem. I was speaking with a friend the other day who mentioned that her Army recruiter had told her to go Navy if she wanted to do intel.

This made me curious as to what factors have shaped this perception within the intel community. Is it the selection process, the assignments, the history...? Curious to hear from those who've been in the community a while.

 

[Flash]

Personal bias aside (!), it seems that within the intel community, Naval intelligence is accorded the highest regard within the US military. Obviously, exceptions will exist among individual leaders, sailors, etc. But on aggregate, it seems to be held in very high esteem. I was speaking with a friend the other day who mentioned that her Army recruiter had told her to go Navy if she wanted to do intel....

Not sure how exactly you are forming this impression but I don't think it is entirely accurate.

 

[unbroken]

Not sure how exactly you are forming this impression but I don't think it is entirely accurate.

Well of course these things are inherently subjective. But I'm wondering why it seems that many people seem to place Navy Intel on a higher pedestal (I'm not familiar enough with other military intel services to know whether this is deserved, but that's another issue anyhow)

 

[Flash]

Well of course these things are inherently subjective. But I'm wondering why it seems that many people seem to place Navy Intel on a higher pedestal (I'm not familiar enough with other military intel services to know whether this is deserved, but that's another issue anyhow)

My question is just 'who' exactly seems to 'place Navy Intel on a higher pedestal'? That is not what I have seen, each service's intel personnel have their strengths and weaknesses with the Navy being no better or worse overall than the others.

 

[unbroken]

My question is just 'who' exactly seems to 'place Navy Intel on a higher pedestal'? That is not what I have seen, each service's intel personnel have their strengths and weaknesses with the Navy being no better or worse overall than the others.

Have heard this from numerous folks at the CIA and US Army.

 

[Flash]

Have heard this from numerous folks at the CIA and US Army.

That is ironic because I have found mid to senior grade Army Intel officers to generally be the most well-rounded and grounded of all the services. USAF are the most technically competent and usually have a better grasp of the big picture, especially when it comes to 'national' and technical issues, but are also the least operationally savvy by far. Navy intel folks are usually somewhere in between the Army and USAF. The Marines, they have intel folks?!

Service distinctions are a lot less important and impactful in the larger intelligence community. Folks in uniform are a distinct minority in the national intel agencies, often sprinkled around as individuals in huge agencies full of civilians. Some places have more uniformed folks than others but they are a minority almost everywhere 'national', so the folks you have talked to likely don't have a very big pool to draw their conclusions from and I frankly wouldn't translate their impressions into firm judgments on the competence of each service's intel officers.

 

[Renegade One]

Have heard this from numerous folks at the CIA and US Army.

Well, then…must be true. Did you ask any of THEM why they held that perception?

The historical significance of Naval Intelligence speaks for itself. OP-20-G and the whole Japanese Naval Code (JN-25) decryption thing; Station HYPO (Joe Rochefort's JICPOA group in Hawaii) predicting the attack on Midway Island (talk about a "game changer"…), etc.

In more modern times, the whole SOSUS network and it's yield, the many and varied exploits of USS Parche (SSN-683) (See: Blind Man's Bluff); USS Halibut (SSGN-587) and the location of K-129 for partial recovery during Project AZORIAN; Operation IVY BELLS (submarines Parche, Halibut, Richard B. Russell and Seawolf); the list goes on.

Did I mention Navy uniforms look way cooler and chicks just dig Navy guys? Not sure that's what the CIA and Army folks were referring to, but maybe subliminally…

 

[Swanee]

The Marines, they have intel folks?!

We do. Albeit some are better than others...

 

[MIDNJAC]

Well of course these things are inherently subjective. But I'm wondering why it seems that many people seem to place Navy Intel on a higher pedestal (I'm not familiar enough with other military intel services to know whether this is deserved, but that's another issue anyhow)

I've neither heard that from anyone ever, or experienced that feeling myself.

 

[unbroken]

That is ironic because I have found mid to senior grade Army Intel officers to generally be the most well-rounded and grounded of all the services. USAF are the most technically competent and usually have a better grasp of the big picture, especially when it comes to 'national' and technical issues, but are also the least operationally savvy by far. Navy intel folks are usually somewhere in between the Army and USAF. The Marines, they have intel folks?!

Service distinctions are a lot less important and impactful in the larger intelligence community. Folks in uniform are a distinct minority in the national intel agencies, often sprinkled around as individuals in huge agencies full of civilians. Some places have more uniformed folks than others but they are a minority almost everywhere 'national', so the folks you have talked to likely don't have a very big pool to draw their conclusions from and I frankly wouldn't translate their impressions into firm judgments on the competence of each service's intel officers.

Yea...Army folks who mentioned this were 3* and 4*, and CIA folks had spent several years in Afghanistan, so I assumed they'd been around the block enough times to make an informed assessment. But I certainly didn't interpret it as a "firm judgment," merely opinions. Also, as you mention, I can see how strengths (and weaknesses) might differ at tactical vs strategic levels.

Thanks for taking the time to lend your thoughts.

 

[unbroken]

Well, then…must be true. Did you ask any of THEM why they held that perception?

The historical significance of Naval Intelligence speaks for itself. OP-20-G and the whole Japanese Naval Code (JN-25) decryption thing; Station HYPO (Joe Rochefort's JICPOA group in Hawaii) predicting the attack on Midway Island (talk about a "game changer"…), etc.

In more modern times, the whole SOSUS network and it's yield, the many and varied exploits of USS Parche (SSN-683) (See: Blind Man's Bluff); USS Halibut (SSGN-587) and the location of K-129 for partial recovery during Project AZORIAN; Operation IVY BELLS (submarines Parche, Halibut, Richard B. Russell and Seawolf); the list goes on.

Did I mention Navy uniforms look way cooler and chicks just dig Navy guys? Not sure that's what the CIA and Army folks were referring to, but maybe subliminally…

Undoubtedly, it was the uniforms!

 

[Renegade One]

Undoubtedly, it was the uniforms!

Still IS the uniforms:

 

[Hair Warrior]

CIA folks had spent several years in Afghanistan, so I assumed they'd been around the block enough times to make an informed assessment.

I've also heard that Navy intel is generally better, from 3 people at CIA and 1 at DIA, all operators.

They likely formed their opinions from intel officers who were not part of ship's company or an air wing. Whereas the winged forum members on AW are probably thinking back to the air wing's intel.

I am not saying I agree with any of the generalizations. I've met some outstanding Navy intel Os and a couple terrible ones who left me wondering.

 

[Flash]

...They likely formed their opinions from intel officers who were not part of ship's company or an air wing. Whereas the winged forum members on AW are probably thinking back to the air wing's intel.

No.

 

[azguy]

Navy intel has a pretty niche function - as do the other services. I don't think most of us in the Navy have a strong opinion either way as we've all worked with some real studs and super duds in the N2 shop over the years. I don't have any exposure to other service intel so I'm unable to draw a direct comparison but I've got to imagine it's generally the same.