Would-be Intel Officer

[AndrewNavy]

Greetings.

Great info all over this site. I want to give a few years of service to my country, and as I have several U.S. Navy members of my family, I decided that it is probably the best path for me. I'm looking specifically at intelligence because I think that it fits best with my experience and temperament (master's in journalism and French area studies, generally analytical and like to boil things down and communicate them.)

One of the issues is that certain other members of my family are concerned for my safety. They think that if I join Naval intelligence, I'll immediately be sent to Baghdad or Kabul.

Going into combat and into harm's way is obviously a part of the decision, and it's something I think that one ought to accept when putting on the uniform. But how can I explain to them specifically what an Intel officer does and what should I tell them is the likelihood that I would be deployed on the ground in a combat zone instead of posted with a squadron or on a carrier? Any advice, ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Welcome aboard. Check it.

CDR James Bond notwithstanding, "Naval Intelligence" has nothing to do with spying. Unless you're attached to a SEAL team, it'll be a while before you land in the sand. Much more likely you'd be attached to a squadron or ship's company.

Incidentally, how do you figure that degrees in Journalism and French make you well-suited to Intel?

 

[nikiterp86]

Ya my mom is actually praying that I don't get picked up, for that exact reason. And I cannot convince her otherwise for anything. Sucks...

 

[bubblehead]

Active Duty or Navy Reserves?

I can tell you that if you join the Navy Reserves as an Intel O you will, eventually deploy somewhere.

 

[P3 F0]

Tell them that you may eventually wind up in the desert, and if you do (I'd say the chances are way way reduced if you're only staying for your initial obligation), you won't be riding convoys and kicking in doors. If that doesn't make 'em happy, oh well.

 

[HeyJoe]

Welcome aboard. Check it.

CDR James Bond notwithstanding, "Naval Intelligence" has nothing to do with spying. Unless you're attached to a SEAL team, it'll be a while before you land in the sand. Much more likely you'd be attached to a squadron or ship's company.

...biggest danger will be catching a cold from working in super cold CVIC spaces wearing a CWU-36 flight jacket debriefing hot and sweaty aircrew just back from flying (or getting your ears boxed from asking innane questions; many aircrew think the "spies" are planted in squadrons for their entertainment...)

 

[anghockey]

Incidentally, how do you figure that degrees in Journalism and French make you well-suited to Intel?

I was going to ask the exact same thing. I think the "spying" point has already been made, but if you read James Olsen's Fair Play: The Moral Dilemma of Spying, you'll find that the civilian intel agencies ONLY use journalism cover if there is NO OTHER WAY of entering an environment where they could find agents.

Second, "French Area" studies isn't really going to help, since Napoleon is dead. Speaking French will help a little bit (I went to school in France for three years, speak fluently, can pass as French), but it is really only useful to the IC if paired with other languages. Since I'm assuming you have French, it'll be easier to try to learn another language. Also, you'd better make sure you can understand Haitien and West African dialects, which are very difficult to understand at first (Moroccan, Tunisian, Algerian is a little easier). Working anywhere in the IC, that is going to be 99% of the French you will use.

I see you're from New York. Where in the City/State?

As for the folks, it takes information and time to win them over. When my stepdad pointed out to my mom that there was a much higher chance that I'd be in a car wreck than get shot at in Iraq or Afghanistan, she backed off.

 

[Gills]

So a Graduate degree is great for INTEL, but should anyone be telling this person how incredibly difficult it is to get INTEL right now?

INTEL results for JAN and FEB
"14 selected!! 135 non-selects 9.3% acually pretty good." quoted from navy-officer.com/blog.

 

[eddie]

So a Graduate degree is great for INTEL, but should anyone be telling this person how incredibly difficult it is to get INTEL right now?

INTEL results for JAN and FEB
"14 selected!! 135 non-selects 9.3% acually pretty good." quoted from navy-officer.com/blog.

Intel always seems very competetive. OCS is it's main commissioning source.

Are there just not nearly as many Intel slots as there are URL's (for OCS), or are there really just a metric ass-ton of people applying for Intel?

 

[bubblehead]

...just a metric ass-ton of people applying for Intel?

Many, many applicants...

 

[das]

Many, many applicants...

Keep in mind, too, that the OCS and DIRCOM (DCO) selection processes and numbers are different...but yes, many applicants for both.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Incidentally, it's bad form to post a request for info and advice, then never respond. Even a simple, "Thanks, good gouge!" is sufficient.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

I was a first tour intel officer who deployed to the "sandbox" immediately. Most people don't though - I only know one or two others who have.
I didn't tell my family where I was going. I don't recommend that as a general rule. Just tell them that you will hope for the best and be ready for the worst and that their support will help you no matter what happens. My family has no understanding of what I do, nor can I tell them, but as long as they are supportive, it is all OK.

 

[AndrewNavy]

Thanks for the input, guys. Although my educational background was in France, I did some work as a journalist writing about former French North and West Africa and the political situation there. I understand that I'll be sent wherever I'm needed, but I feel like it would be most interesting to be deployed to that part of the world.

My recruiter initially recommended either Intel or SWO based on my background. Intel seemed to fit my temperament and skills set better, so I decided to go with that. I understand that it's fairly competitive, but you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take, right? My scores were 59/8/7/8 on the ASTB, which I'm told is decent.

 

[anghockey]

Being that the official minimum for intel is 40/4/4/4 (I know of prior enlisted who got in with 37), Your ASTB scores are extremely good--those are good enough scores for NFO/Pilot.