Careers in Intelligence?

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hdl160

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Apr 16, 2017
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Hello,

This is going to be long and I wasn't entirely sure on where to put this thread but oh well. I'm a junior and my dream job would be to work in homeland security, intelligence, or at the UN. But... I also really want to go to a service academy and/or serve. The major I'm most interested in is international relations or political science but I if I got into an academy I feel like I should major in engineering since that's what the military needs the most. I'm aware that the academies offer other majors, but right now I think I'm most likely to get into USMMA since I am just starting to be recruited and as I'm sure you know, they only offer technical majors.

I'm worried that going to an academy or doing ROTC won't allow me to achieve my dreams, but I also think that serving my country would be really good for me and could possibly help me achieve my dreams.

This might be confusing so feel free to ask any questions. Sorry for this super long post and thanks for any advice!
 
Do not choose a major based on what you think the military wants. Major in a field that strongly interests you and that you have an aptitude for.

You greatly reduce the odds of success by choosing to study something that you dislike or lack talent in.
 
I find it interesting that the military especially the Air Force , graduates so many engineers . The real question is how many of them use their degree when they get commissioned. I don’t see the point of being an engineer if you want to be pilot
 
There are plenty of pilots with engineering degrees. For some it’s what they want to study or believe this is the path they want pursue post military. I had a room mate at USNA who excelled at engineering. It was easy for them. Write a paper, they hated it. Some have a desire to pursue a test pilot path, engineering degrees are pretty much a must to go this path (at least in the Navy, guessing same is true for Air Force).
 
OP, I agree with AROTC-dad that you should choose a major based on your interests and abilities, not what you think the military wants. If you are able to get into an SA you can major in whatever interests you - you will get a BS degree regardless of major. If you go the ROTC route just be aware that Air Force and Navy are looking primarily for STEM majors so your chances of a scholarship for AF and Navy won't be as good with a non-STEM major. If you go Army or Marine Corps you can major in whatever you want without affecting your chances of a scholarship. Also remember for NROTC you can apply for NROTC or NROTC MO, not both. You can apply for AFROTC, AROTC, NROTC at the same time, just have to make a choice between Navy or Marines for NROTC.

Go for what you want and have backup plans in place. In the meantime, get good grades, make good decisions and stay out of trouble. Good luck.
 
hdl160 said:
Hello,

This is going to be long and I wasn't entirely sure on where to put this thread but oh well. I'm a junior and my dream job would be to work in homeland security, intelligence, or at the UN. But... I also really want to go to a service academy and/or serve. The major I'm most interested in is international relations or political science but I if I got into an academy I feel like I should major in engineering since that's what the military needs the most. I'm aware that the academies offer other majors, but right now I think I'm most likely to get into USMMA since I am just starting to be recruited and as I'm sure you know, they only offer technical majors.

I'm worried that going to an academy or doing ROTC won't allow me to achieve my dreams, but I also think that serving my country would be really good for me and could possibly help me achieve my dreams.

This might be confusing so feel free to ask any questions. Sorry for this super long post and thanks for any advice!
Click to expand...

Your primary focus seems to be how do you set yourself up for your dream job after military service. Nothing wrong with that btw. But you should give some thought as to what specific branch you want to serve in. There are a lot of differences. Also do you want a civilian college education or an SA education. If you determine that branch and the SA experience are less important than your civilian career, here is my suggestion.
AROTC, Hoya Battalion branch NG or Reserves. GU, GW or AU IR major all top ten programs in the nation. My son had an internship at DHS his senior year which was literally blocks from his apartment. Studying in DC will give you great exposure/opportunity for your eventual civilian career.
 
Yes, you can achieve your dreams.
I know of one WP grad who was an aviator and is now pretty up there in the FBI. Not sure of his major.
I’m a muggle, not an academy grad. Did a stint as an UNMO S-2 (UN Military Observer intel officer). I was a German Literature/Europe’s History major. So of course this assignment was in the French Sahara. Honestly, I hate to burst your bubble. The UN is the most corrupt organization I have ever dealt with. We had a Nigerian LTC “misplace” $35000. We were told not to judge him with Western ideals. He was just not permitted to handle large sums of money anymore. He then “misplaced” his Landcruiser. He was punished by being given a full time driver. I could go on.
 
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