USMC Cyber Warfare 1702 MOS

Good morning, Everyone.

I know in my last post, I said I am majoring in Engineering as an NROTC Marine-Option next year, but with all of the activity in cyberspace, "the new frontier", I am considering pursuing the new 1702 Cyber Warfare MOS. A buddy of mine from Virginia is joining the USMC as well and we started talking about cyber last month.

I know it is a LONG way down the road & relatively new with little information, but:

1. What does the training pipeline look like?
2. At TBS, do you think they would prioritize me for the MOS since I would have a technical background from engineering?
3. I've heard many Marines transfer to Cyber from other MOS fields (Infantry, Armor, Etc). Would I gain more respect as an Officer in Cyber if I did that?
4. Is there any specific part of TBS that tests our Cyber / Technical abilities?
5. Could earning IT Certifications before I commission help in any way with earning the MOS?
6. Do they offer any internship programs? I found this LINK from MARFORCYBER but its a few years old.
7. Is there a "Cyber Contract" similar to the Law & Aviation Contracts for Marine Officers?
8. Would anyone here recommend USMC Cyber? Why / Why Not?

Thanks a lot for any advice you all have.

These are great questions. Hopefully someone has the answers!

Definitely a relatively unknown topic.

CatDog99 said:

These are great questions. Hopefully someone has the answers!

Click to expand...

Those are indeed great questions, most which will be answered as you progress. Some of the Questions may not even be answerable at this point because the military is still trying to figure it all out. The Army Cyber branch is only 5 years old and
The Marine branch even younger.

My single word of advice to you as a college Freshman is to remain a generalist as long as you can. Your EE major will still give you ample CS skills. Go with what you love not with what you believe will be “in demand” 4 or 5 years from now. Remain in top physical shape.

Here are a couple of good articles:

About the changing of the USMC mission


The incorporation of cyber into small unit warfare


The need to advance cyber/network capabilities and defenses at the strategic level


Wish you the best of luck!