Intel

[Covey_Rider]

If theres anybody out there that is going in to / has been in intel for the Marines before I'd like to talk. Any help with that MOS would be greatly appreciated...

Dominic (a.k.a.word boy).

[Korling]

I was not an 02xx type, but rather a 26xx type Signals Intel, went to Language school with some 02xx-types and saw them occassionally in the fleet as well. I can try and answer your questions, and I can also direct you to where you can talk to an 02xx type if you prefer.

I did 6 years on AD as a 2673 Cryptologic Linguist Korean and secondary MOS of 2649 Cryptanalyst.

[teddyn]

I'm also thinking of Intel...
Korling, I was just wondering: how is it decided what language you study?

[Korling]

First, you have to score high enough on the DLAB (Defense Language Aptitude Battery) test to rate certain languages, I don't really remember what those scores are, but a lower score was needed to get Spanish, than was needed to get into Russian, and the highest scores were required for languages like Korean, Chinese, and Arabic. From there, I think it usually just depended on the needs of the Marine Corps (what 267x MOS's were in short supply, etc.) I don't recall anyone really getting to choose, but things may have changed. I went in Open contract and was screened by the 2600 MOS screeners at MCRD-SD (you took the DLAB during the first week of Boot back then) and was offered the 2673 Korean towards the end of Boot Camp. Again, the screening process was a certain score on the ASVAB (and of course my high score on the DLAB) that narrowed us down to about 60 or so and those 60 anwered questions like "did you ever have sex with an animal?" and stuff like that (I'm not kidding!) and that got us down to 3 (2 for Camp David guards and me for 2673. We then filled out our Security Clearance initial Background Investigation paperwork and the rest is, as they say, history.
As for class start times, keep in mind linguists are all trained together (we had all 4 branches represented in my class and some even had other Government agencies represented in theirs). That means once you get to DLI, you may have to wait a month or two for your language to have enough people to start. While I was there, 85% or below on any test was an F and the first got you on remedial and the second got you out of the course, so the attrition rate was high (although not so for the Marines who I think did a great job of screening those who got sent ahead of time). You also start school before you get your clearance and those who fail to get their clearance are often pulled out halfway through irregardless of grade.
Once you finish language school, THEN you go to your MOS school, for me it was Crypto Linguist school at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, TX for another 4 months (language school is usually 1 year, although the Arab languages used to take 1 year of Modern Standard Arabic and then 4 additional months of a specific dialect). You are looking at close to 2 years (especially if you have to wait for classes to start) from the time you start bootcamp to when you finally have an MOS and can join the fleet!

[teddyn]

Cool! Sounds like fun- the idea of doing language stuff under intell sounds really appealing to me, although I'll probably want to avoid failing...

Also, do they take into account any prior language knowledge? I'm fluent in French and have been learning Russian outside of school for about 1 / 1.5 years... does that count for anything in securing a language-related MOS or training in this field?

[Korling]

You'd have to ask a recruiter on prior language, but I doubt if it matters much. I had high school German for 3 years and but they never even asked me about that. (interesting note on that in a minute!)

The DLAB test they use to place you doesn't actually test how well you can learn a language, it actually tests how good you are at learning languages QUICKLY. I think that is pretty much the criteria they use (of course things might have changed over the years).

Back to the German, one interesting thing about learning language was that when we started out learning new vocab in Korean, a lot of my German came back to me. I could suddenly remember German vocab I had forgotten about since Freshman year of HS when I would learn the same word in Korean (something about reactivating the brain stems) For a week or two I would often speak in a mix of Korean/German as my mind wasn't ready to sort it all out.

The absolute key to language learning is to eliminate the translation process in your head. When you start learning a language, people will hear the foreign sentence, translate that into english in their head, then think of a response in english, translate that into the foreign language in their head and then speak it. When you know the language, you think in that language, you hear it and think of a response in that language without ever translating in your head. (For some people they never can catch on to this, for other it takes longer, some can do it quickly, and most of us "lings" can attest to how easy it comes when you're slighty under the influence of alcohol, OF COURSE, I'm not advocating getting drunk here to do better on a test!)

If you get in good luck, study your butt off. They try to give you a roommate that has the same language (at my time there wasn't any Korlings except a WM further along than me, and they wouldn't let us room together!) so I couldn't study with my roommate (a Persian-Farsi linguist). When you have a roommate same language you can make your room an english free zone to help you practice, etc.

[hoytarcher45]

I'm and O231, intelligence specialist. Ive been in for about two years now, and can tell you anything you need to know about the job, and about mos school down in good ol Va Beach.

[dte105]

Hoy, im really interested in the intelligence specialist mos, but all the info I find on it is extremely vague. I was just wondering what your everyday job is like. Are you working with computers all day?

[AmyG]

What type of training does an intel specialist go through, outside of recruit training and MCT?

[hoytarcher45]

Training is three months to become an 0231. In a nutshell, an 02's job is to find out as much as they can about the enemy, and report it to the commander. This is done by using many different assets, such as intercepted radio traffic, spy planes, POWs, anything really. You then take all that information and process it, and then brief it to your commander. A majority of an 02's job is done on a computer or using maps. The best part about the job, in my opinion, is that you get to see the big picture of everything that is going on in the battlefield. It is a very interesting and high speed job. You must be able to get a TS/SCI clearence if you are active duty. The school is a lot of fun because it is in Va Beach, and the enlisted barracks is litterally like a hotel (you get your own room). Expect to do a lot of studying and PT. If anyone else has questions, my AIM is HoytArcher45.

Semper Kill,
-Lcpl Miller

[Luke86]

I'm going into the cryptologic linguist field, provided I receive my security clearance, and I wanted to know what the possibilities for deployment are for somebody in that field.

[jetztodernie]

Question for those "in the know":

I just took my DLAB on Saturday at MEPS and I scored a 91 which is lower than the 100 required for 26xx. I was SHOCKED. I thought I did much much better. I speak Spanish and German, and I have studied the basic of Arabic, Russian, Biblical Hebrew on my own time fairly extensively. I am more gifted with languages than almost any one that I know (not to toot my own horn, but it's true) and I love them more than anyone that Ive ever met.

HOWEVER, headquarters looked at my ASVAB (99), my GT (160 or so), my education (college graduate in Int'l Relations) and my college GPA (3.83 with distinction and honors) and waived my 91 on the DLAB. Which means that I can indeed qualify 26xx.

This is certainly good news, HOWEVER, I am concerned that I will get "stuck" with Spanish or French. Certainly, that's better than nothing, but I would LOVE to learn Arabic or Chinese (or something similar).

My question: Do you think my score of 91 will relegate me to a CAT I/II language? Or do you think that theyll make me a non-linguist 26xx (electronic warfare, etc...) because of my low/waived DLAB?

Honestly, if the Marines were to utilize my skills completely, they'd assign me to a CAT IV language. I know that I can do it, and Im confident that Im equally qualified, if not more so, than any other applicant.

My preferences would look like this:
26xx CAT 3-4 > 02xx > 26xx CAT 1-2

Naturally, it's not entirely up to me, but if I am to be relegated to CAT 1 or 2 languages, I'd prefer to be an 02xx. But, as they say, the needs of the Corps come first.

Im still a bit torn between the 02 and 26 field. I dont want to be buried in a headset my entire time in the Marines as a SIGINT Marine, but I dont know if I can pass up the opportunity to learn a language AND get paid for it! Something Ill have to roll around for the next few weeks.

Thanks

[thedrifter]

Profile Please

[MGySgtSki]

I'm going into the cryptologic linguist field, provided I receive my security clearance, and I wanted to know what the possibilities for deployment are for somebody in that field.

If you are successful in becoming a 26xx and get orders to one of the Radio Battalions (there are currently 3, with a 4th in the works), there will be plenty of opportunity for deployment. The FMF Radio Bn's have a very high operational/deployment tempo.

PM me if you have any specific questions and I'll answer as best I can.

Just so you know, I'm a 26xx type and have been for the last 20 years.

S/F

[Korling]

I dont want to be buried in a headset my entire time in the Marines as a SIGINT Marine, but I dont know if I can pass up the opportunity to learn a language AND get paid for it!

Don't knock it until you've tried it. There were times I felt "buried in a headset" but they were few and far between and being so buried is one of the few jobs in peace-time that allows you to actually do your job against the enemy, something the combat arms can't offer during peace time. Also, keep in mind, many of the Marines in the 02-field started out in the 26xx-field and lat moved when they reenlisted. So starting out as 26xx isn't necessarily a bad move, even if you want 02xx. Of course, you may find you want to stay 26xx once you get there.