Intel coming out of USNA vs. USAFA?

The biggest difference is to go Intel directly out of USNA one must go restricted line. In the Navy there are unrestricted line officers and restricted line officers. URL are pilots, subs, SWO, SEALs, EOD, etc. These are the guys who have a star next to their rank on should boards, star above their rank on the sleeve of their SDBs or just have rank on both collars in khakis. Restricted line officers are supply, JAG, Intel, Info Warfare/Protection and all kinds of other things. They won't have stars, but a symbol for their warfare designation on the sleeve, shoulder board or collar. Recommend a quick search on google of the differences. So the bottom line is unless you are found not physically qualified (NPQ) while at USNA going restricted line is very difficult. It can happen, but usually it involves going URL first then transferring. Those who go directly, generally have a specific major and specialized academic track (IW/IP or Medical) or have some sort of medical condition (or did) that limits their service selection. For most it was a sports injury, color blindness, major sickness like cancer. If you look at past service selections at USNA, the numbers who go restricted line are very limited. For 2015 here were the service selection numbers for restricted line:

Medical: 12
Supply: 11
Civil Engineering Corps: 5
Intel: 10
Information Warfare: 7
Information Professional: 4
Oceanography: 1

More than likely the CEC guys were engineering majors of some sort at USNA, IW/IP were comp sci or cyber majors (these careers fields are growing), medical is usually chemistry with some other things like internships and special academic requirements, oceanography was probably someone who majored in it and was NPQ from going SWO first, Suppy and Intel spots were more than likely those who were NPQ.

With all that being said, the reality is to get Intel in the Navy out of USNA is probably going to be a request for lateral transfer after he becomes qualified in another area such as SWO. The Navy is unique with the water element. So if someone doesn't like boats or the water, regardless of warfare designation, then the Navy isn't the greatest spot for them. There are lots of discussions on this board about life in the Navy vs the other services. Great place to start and focus on as picking the right service is the most important thing. Also remember out of USNA one can select Marines. Marines do not get their MOS (sort of like branching in the Army) until they are in the follow Marine school called TBS. About 1/2 way through they find out if they will infantry, armor, supply, etc. There are many different types of Intelligence MOSs in the Marine Corps. Quick google search can explain them all. These are not restricted like they are in the Navy, but are small in number.

Here are a few older threads in the USNA forum on Intel:

http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/usna-vs-usafa.42308/#post-414793

http://www.serviceacademyforums.com...vice-options-after-academy.41198/#post-401709
 
NavyHoops, thank you greatly for all of the information and links to earlier threads on this topic.
 
As far as service-selecting Intel....
Bottom line with all service selection is that you have to be "happy" with any of them. If Intel is something your DS/DD is interested in and that is their desire, then they should seek it, but with the understanding they might be asked/told to do something else (and obviously, would have to "live with it"). As NavyHoops mentioned, there are limited opportunities to lateral transfer later on (again, no guarantees).

Intel in the Navy is organized into the Information Dominance Corps (IDC) which consists of telecommunication/network, meteorology/oceanography, information warfare, and intel communities. As others stated in the linked thread....Intel supports specific Naval Operations...especially in the maritime environment and there is A LOT! Intel also provides support for all other communities...to include aviation, cyber, etc. Furthermore, as you become more senior, not only is there the opportunity for senior intelligence jobs and/or commands, but also the opportunity to command other IDC commands. For example, the Commanding Officer of one of the communications station is currently an Intel officer. The whole idea of the IDC is for each community to understand the advantage that information plays within their own area, but also as a whole (from the equipment that enables it to the intel or affects it produces).

-----
For clarification, the Navy has really two main categories of officers: (1) line and (2) staff corps. Line officers are further divided into Unrestricted Line (URL) or Restricted Line (RL). URL officers (i.e. SWOs, submariners, pilots, NFOs, etc.) are eligible to command combat units (i.e. ships, aviation squadrons, subs, special operations units). RL officers (i.e. non-civil engineering, maintenance, METOC/Oceanography, IP, IW, Intel, etc.) are not eligible to command combat units, but can command within their specialty areas. URL and RL wear their rank on both collars and have stars on top of their rank on shoulder boards and dress blues. Staff corps, includes those in healthcare, law, civil engineering and religion (i.e. Medical Corps, JAGs, CEC, and Chaplains) and augment the line commands (i.e. can be assigned to ships, subs, squadrons, etc.); they wear a symbol representing their staff community on their left collar (in place of rank) and on their shoulder board and dress blues.
 
usnabgo08 - thanks for helping me to better understand the situation. much appreciated.
 
The only slots for direct accession IDC right now are Information Warfare (signals intelligence/computer network attack and exploitation) and Information Professional (computer network defense/information assurance/cybersecurity). Two to four slots for DA in each, and two to three slots for SWO-IW/SWO-IP.

The only people going Intel right now are NPQ. SWO-Intel is an option, but there are only two slots this year, with about two dozen applicants. Most will need to submit a lateral transfer after about four years as a line officer, and even then the process is still extremely competitive. Most lateral transfers I've talked to had to try several times.

Also, unlike with the other communities, there is no requirement to fill any of the IDC slots.

The IDC officers on the Yard are actively fighting big Navy for more slots every year. Things might change significantly over the next few years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top