Become a Restricted Line Officer?

H

harrynm034

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Nov 9, 2018
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I'm interested in becoming a Navy Intelligence Officer, but what would happen if I'm medically QUALIFIED and unrestricted?? Can I not choose intel??
 
You posted this on the USNA forum, so I trust USNA is your preferred route to a commission. Know that USNA is in the business of producing unrestricted-line officers. Sure, a few go restricted line, but that’s typically because of a medical issue that was unearthed after they entered USNA.

You can become an intelligence officer as a USNA grad, but only after you’ve served in one of the four unrestricted-lines: surface warfare, subs, aviation or Marines.
 
There are in fact a limited number of spots for healthy people to go intel/IP/METOC/CW but they are very competitive. CW is up to around 20 spots a year but the others are around 5 spots.

Also I would research what an Intel officer does in the Navy. It's probably not as exciting as you think it is.
 
MidCakePa said:
You can become an intelligence officer as a USNA grad, but only after you’ve served in one of the four unrestricted-lines: surface warfare, subs, aviation or Marines.
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This is not correct. It may be unlikely, but it is certainly not impossible possible for a healthy midshipman to commission into one of the Intel communities
 
There have been a lot of name changes and community shifts in that particular collection of RL specialties, which reflects the cyber-tech advances and associated weaponization.
In the last several years, there have indeed been slots, limited in number as @BDHuff09 indicates, for direct orders into those warfare communities.

Concurrently, those who are DQ from the main warfare communities will be found slots in those communities, usually RL and staff, in which there is room and a good fit for the mid.

Many officers go the usual warfare route, gain their warfare pin in surface, aviation, etc., and apply for what’s called lateral transfer and re-designation, from one community to another. A top-performing surface warfare officer, fully qualified, after a certain period of time, can apply to be considered for the transfer. The receiving community benefits from an experienced officer with operational URL chops.

Intel officers do a range of things, but are not necessarily James Bond.
Count the number of times “analysis” or a variant is used in the description below.

https://www.navy.com/careers/military-intelligence
 
Hat tip to @BDHuff09 and @Capt MJ. I stand corrected.

But between the paucity of slots and the needs of the Navy, not sure @harrynm034 should choose the USNA route if intelligence is his first choice. Probably more-direct paths for him.
 
I think there is now a SWO/Intel path. As I understand it, you do a SWO tour and then become an Intel officer. However, there are limited billets and your choices of ships may initially be more limited than "pure" SWOs. And, if you go into this program and then decide you love being a SWO and don't want to change to Intel, that may not be an option (or not an easy one).

Intel is definitely NOT James Bond stuff. It's a lot of analysis (reading intel reports from other agencies) and briefing (informing people about threats). In the old days, 90% of intel officers did their first tour as a squadron intel officer. Not sure that's still true and today there is certainly a greater emphasis on cyber within the Intel community.

Bottom line is that you should not go to USNA expecting to be an Intel officer if you are medically qualified for unrestricted line. It is certainly possible, but not likely or easy.
 
Capt MJ said:
There have been a lot of name changes and community shifts in that particular collection of RL specialties, which reflects the cyber-tech advances and associated weaponization.
In the last several years, there have indeed been slots, limited in number as @BDHuff09 indicates, for direct orders into those warfare communities.

Concurrently, those who are DQ from the main warfare communities will be found slots in those communities, usually RL and staff, in which there is room and a good fit for the mid.

Many officers go the usual warfare route, gain their warfare pin in surface, aviation, etc., and apply for what’s called lateral transfer and re-designation, from one community to another. A top-performing surface warfare officer, fully qualified, after a certain period of time, can apply to be considered for the transfer. The receiving community benefits from an experienced officer with operational URL chops.

Intel officers do a range of things, but are not necessarily James Bond.
Count the number of times “analysis” or a variant is used in the description below.

https://www.navy.com/careers/military-intelligence
Click to expand...

Thanks for the helpful information, my best friend's dad works for another federal agency as intel, and analysis-write-brief is exactly what I was seeking from the community. Again, thank you!
 
I'm going for
1. USAFA/AFROTC (SMC) -> OSI/SF/INTEL
2. USNA/NROTC (SMC) -> USMC MP/GROUND & HUMAN SOURCE INTEL/INFANTRY
3. USMA/ROTC (SMC) -? MP/INTEL/INFANTRY
, but I wanted to keep my options available for U.S. Navy as well
 
If you're looking for USMC intel, the process is quite different at occurs during TBS. Someone who is familiar with current USMC process can explain much better than I.
 
Hashbrowns and eggs said:
If I was hypothetically interested in becoming James Bond, how would I do that?
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Do very well as a junior officer, be fit and athletic, keep a spotless conduct record to support security clearance, have some familiarity with firearms, strategic languages are always a plus, do your time on AD with top-rated performance evaluations, and you will hear through the grapevine how people get recruited. You can also apply, for example, here, as just one possible path to one of the Fed agencies:

https://www.ciaagentedu.org/national-clandestine-service/

https://www.cia.gov/careers

You can search all the “ABC” agency websites for career paths.

Veterans are generally well-regarded, especially if they have been tested in real-life high-stress operational situations and bring other desirable qualities to the table, including leadership experience, maturity, team skills, resourcefulness, problem-solving ability and drive.

You stay low-key and ensure your social media has been scrubbed clean, with minimal personal info about yourself out there.
 
A colleague was accepted to a CIA field position. He'd done what CAPT MJ suggested. However, he also learned that, for his first few tours, he'd most likely be assigned to 3rd world countries. He was married and wanted to start a family. He didn't want to do that in a 3rd world country (poor medical care) and didn't want to leave his spouse at home for years on end, so declined the opportunity.

There is the world (sort of) of James Bond. But it's not chasing glamorous females and driving Aston Martins in exotic locations.:) Which I'm sure you realize.
 
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