Posted Sat 29 December 2007 09:54 PM
I am interested in enlisting in to one of these MOS’s: Signal Intelligence Analyst (35N), Crypto logic Linguist (35P), and Signals Collector/Analyst (35S). They all seem to do the same job, or at least there jobs seem to overlap quite often. I was wondering if any one can give me some insight on any of these jobs, how they differ, marketability of skills as a civilian, advancement opportunities, army unit opportunities, additional training opportunities. From what I read, on GoArmy.com, 35S collects the SIGINT and handles the technical machinery used in gathering SIGINT; 35P translates whatever’s collected, and 35N transcribes the information into a report. Please correct me if I am wrong, or please elaborate on any of the duties of the jobs. Thank You.

Your basic info is correct. I am a 35N. Personally, I like my MOS better than the others. First, 35N's are a Star MOS, and have been so for most of my 9 1/2 yrs of service. Therefore, promo's are pretty easy. Second, as a 35N, you are able to work both in a tactical and strategic environment. I went from Ft. Campbell to England to Ft. Irwin to Buckley Air Force Base in Denver. All 3 are very marketable skills as far as the civilian sector goes. And when you get into a Strategic environment, it is possible to cross-train into one of the other MOS's if there are shortages for those operators. Also, Strategic assignments are where you'll make a majority of your contacts for when you do decide to ETS and apply for those contractor jobs. Although historically, 35N (in my opinion) get cross-trained most often. In the SIGINT world, 35N's are a Jack of All Trades.

Thank you for your response. I have been leaning towards 35N. From what I’ve read on this forum, as well as others, it seems to be a consensus, that 35N is a very fulfilling MOS with many advancement and unit opportunities available. I am considering it as a second option to, or possibly instead of, Human Intel Collector (35M). I am interested in possibly being attached to the 75th or an SF group. In your experience are these good unit positions. How may I increase my opportunity to be attached to one?

You will have more assignment opportunities as a 35M than you will as a 35N and also have access to a more unique career field. I've been a 35N for just over 10 years - now a 352N warrant - and have a had a great time, but the HUMINT side of the house does have more opportunity. You can be assigned to Group with either MOS, but you may enjoy the HUMINT side better if you're an independent person who does not need supervision to get the job done.

Magee, I probably went to AIT with you.

What kind of assignment opportunities would I have as a 35M? I have read some post from 35M that suggest sometimes they are placed in positions that there not really trained for, not that they cant handle the positions, just not what they where trained to do. From what I read it seems they can be put in any position when it deals with people, do to there skills as interrogators. Personally I’m not much of a talker or a people person, I understand I am going to have to work with other people with any job I pick, but maybe I should pick one that doesn’t deal exclusively with talking to people, or perhaps it will push me to talk to people more, who knows? I can be somewhat perceptive about others body language and subtext when talking to them, I guess that’s what happens when you’re a quiet person and watch people more than you talk to them, but I don’t know if its really the job for me. I want a job that will provide me with a good deal of skills and knowledge, particular with MI, that will help me in the civilian world to possibly work for an agency( FBI, CIA, NSA, . . .), but still has tactical aspects so I am not constantly behind a desk.

You might not be looking at this any more, but I will try to help as I have either filled or hold the jobs you are talking about. The biggest difference, and one you should consider since you want an agency job later, is that the 35M's are only getting a secret level clearance, while the sigint positions are all TS. When ity comes time to interview that Top Secret is worth a lot more. Doing the 35M job your entire purpose is to work with people, whether they want to or not. You would be a n interrogator which means going out on patrols and meetings and building a rapport and working relationship with people. You are also going to have to talk with detainees, and you need to be able to analyze a person and clearly communicate in order to be any good.

As a 35N or 35P you really aren't going to have to interact a whole lot depending on where you are and how independent you work. Personnally I think that there needs to be a good communication flow between the collector and analyst so that the information reported is as accurate as possible, and so the collector knows what the analyst is looking for.

I can tell you that most collectors I know like their jobs, but after a few years of doing it the analyst part looks really nice as they can actually see what happens with their work and the effect that it has. I don't know many analysts clamering to become collectors.

35Ms and 35Ns basically have the same job when it comes down to it. The only difference comes in how they get their intel that they need to report. The 35N job is great when strategic. Every day you are working a mission and accomplishing something. Once tactical the job can drop off in fun. Contrastly, 35M's have a very boring life when not deployed. There really isn't any way to perform the job in the rear. But once deployed you are out every day providing the intelligence that a commander has to have in order to complete his mission. It a great feeling you get when you see a stores reopening and kids able to go outside and play again because you were able to provide the manuever units the information they needed to get rid of the terrorists in the area.

I wouldn't even consider the 35S job

Thank you for your response. Like I mentioned in my second post I have been leaning towards 35N. I was never really interested in 35S, I just wanted clarification of what each one does and how they interact with each other. The fact that 35N comes with a TS clearance is also another intriguing factor, but I have also heard the 35M can get TS clearance due to the fact that they sometimes work with 35N, also that by 2012 all 35M will be getting a TS. My main concern with the MOS I choose is that I would prefer not to be stuck behind a desk all the time. I would like the possibility of a tactical assignment.

I am also a 35N and I would tell you if you want to join into SIGINT, then do as I did and get the best of both 35N and 35P. I am what they call a 35NL which is a 35N with a language. You can request to take a DLAB and go to DLI to learn a language (This is was 35P's do) 35Ns have the ability to be a linguist as well. As far as promotions being a 35N is better because points are almost always minimum (350). 35S isn't SIGINT. Also being a 35N and deployed I find it quite fun here in Iraq, being in a tactical unit you get the best of computer work, which is awesome and the tactical part which is also awesome. oh did I mention the opportunities in the civilian world with this job are outstanding.

Well I don't see any 35P responses so I'll chime in. I came in as a 35P in 2004 and I love my job. The dangerous thing about 35P though is that you are very, very specified. A 35M or 35N with a language goes to DLI with you but they are first and formost HUMINT collectors and SIGINT reporters respectively. Their assignments may not always be in conjunction with their language and even if they later fail their language exams they ar still elegible for promotion. In 35P that is not the case. First you are assigned and promoted by your language.

for example, I'm a Korean linguist. Though 35P's with Arabic, Farsi, and most other languages have pretty stable promotion, korean linguist do not. In the last year about 30 in the whole army have made SGT. So being so specific can be a pain. We do however, at least in Korea get prefrence for langugae training which is usally 30 days at a Korean civilian university. You essentially get to be a college student for a month. So that's cool.

Also in our job you get the oppurtunity to do the 35N job a lot. Any 35P can be trained to be a 35N but the opposite is not the case.

Well let me be devil's advocate for a bit so this person can have a 360 view of 35P. I was assigned to a BCT after AIT. I haven't done anything remotely close to being a 35P nor my language which is Chinese. We deployed to Iraq and were assigned to various other positions within the MI and sometimes, non MI world and now that we are back we are getting screwed for language training because the unit won't pay to get us instructors or send us to refresher courses. Sorry for the negativity but I'm just being honest.

I generally find that Epic Honor's case is what happens, unless you are involved with an actual mission. I was originally a Korean linguist, before we were downsized after being overstrengthed. Soon as I got to Korea, the powers that be took a whole platoon, and sent them to Iraq to do similar jobs that EH's unit did. The other platoon stayed, and during that year, we basically closed the post down. While we were there, we basically pulled weeds, painted, and did other meaningless jobs. We had our HUMVEEs up and running, as that is where we spent the majority of our time. In short, I hated it, and was on the way out. However, the opportunity to reclass came, and I did what was natural, and switched over to Spanish. I am involved in a mission, and I love it. I've since then reenlisted, and about to do it again.

In short, it depends what language you are slated in, and what mission you may/may not be involved in. As you know the Iraq mission takes precedence over all, so if they need to fill slots, they may use you, but it's a chance you must have been willing to take when enlisting.

I have to chime on this.

Intel Analyst (35F) is the intel jack of all trades, not 35M. It is the hub that all the different collector's (SIGINT, HUMINT, IMINT, MASINT) reports go to for the biggest picture. I am currently the BN S2 NCOIC (as a 35F) in an INSCOM (strategic) unit. All our 35M/35L have TS clearances. When I was at Drum my BCT didn't have any organic HUMINT collectors but did have SIGINT soldiers who all TS clearances. Heck even our supply folks have clearances here and that is BECAUSE a lot of times your job/assisgnment will dictate what clearance level you need, and more importantly which caveats you are read on to. It is the caveats that earn you money in the outside world, not the clearance itself.

Enough of the babling. I don't know much about the signal MOS' but if you like to do that type of work sign up for the least specific one that will allow you to do more cross training. There are certain jobs that must have slots in every unit such as supply, personnel specialist, and personal/infomation security. They may be limited but are there.

Just my .02

I know that you cannot request what language you get, since it is all based on needs of the Army, but do you get a wish list when you show up to DLI?

Does it depend on if your Airborne Qualified? The reason I ask is cause I see some languages that there is no need for non-airborne, but a great need for airborne qualified soldiers, so I am wondering if that is considered.

I am interested in working in a SF Group, so I am interested in these languages: QB, PF and AD. Anyone with these languages and in MOS 35M, 35N, 35P, please chime in with your thoughts and units that you have had and experiences.

I know that you cannot request what language you get, since it is all based on needs of the Army, but do you get a wish list when you show up to DLI?

Does it depend on if your Airborne Qualified? The reason I ask is cause I see some languages that there is no need for non-airborne, but a great need for airborne qualified soldiers, so I am wondering if that is considered.

I am interested in working in a SF Group, so I am interested in these languages: QB, PF and AD. Anyone with these languages and in MOS 35M, 35N, 35P, please chime in with your thoughts and units that you have had and experiences.