Crypto Linguist

[pfister]

First off, thank you for reading my thread.

I am a female poolee and i don't ship out until September. I want to ship out sooner but I am still in my senior year of high school so the earliest it can be is June. Anyway, I was suppose to do AG but when I went to my recruiter the day I went to meps he said that Crypto Linguist was available. I got a good ASVAB score (93) and I took the DLAB and got a 119, which I still don't know if that's a good score or not just that it's passing. So, that's going to be my job. I'm pretty excited about it but I have my qualms. For one, I don't know any other languages so I'm not sure how easily I'll be able to pick one up. I also am not sure on which language I'll be given for a bit. I've been told it'll probably be Arabic or Korean. So, if anyone knows anything or has any advice about boot camp or MCT or Monterey, California, just let me know.

Poolee Pfister

[richerich]

That is a very good score, I believe you need at least a 105 for a Category IV language, such as Arabic, Korean and Chinese.

There's tons of info on the net about Monterey and DLI. I personally recommend taking an Arabic course now (that's the most likely assigned language), so you are not overwhelmed when you get to DLI.

Look forward to an excellent career. And be on guard at DLI, most servicemen/women return married or divorced.

Good Luck!

First off, thank you for reading my thread.

I am a female poolee and i don't ship out until September. I want to ship out sooner but I am still in my senior year of high school so the earliest it can be is June. Anyway, I was suppose to do AG but when I went to my recruiter the day I went to meps he said that Crypto Linguist was available. I got a good ASVAB score (93) and I took the DLAB and got a 119, which I still don't know if that's a good score or not just that it's passing. So, that's going to be my job. I'm pretty excited about it but I have my qualms. For one, I don't know any other languages so I'm not sure how easily I'll be able to pick one up. I also am not sure on which language I'll be given for a bit. I've been told it'll probably be Arabic or Korean. So, if anyone knows anything or has any advice about boot camp or MCT or Monterey, California, just let me know.

Poolee Pfister

[Tallboot]

Well i handle crypto, as far i know its only used in Radios, but i dont know. Maybe youll end up being the Marine that gives it to the Battalions.

[JWDevilDog]

119 is a great score, and qualifies you to learn any language. You do not have an option which one, they assign you one based on the needs of the Marine Corps (more than likely Arabic, as the good Cpl already said).

You do not need to already know a second language to pick up one at the DLI. You are completely immersed in the language, and you come out as fluent as you are in English; reading, writing, speaking, understanding. You will have no choice but to be fluent in the language, unless you fail out and then they will have to assign you a new MOS. I don't recommend that. Get ready to work your a*s off.

[Alton]

You are completely immersed in the language, and you come out as fluent as you are in English; reading, writing, speaking, understanding.

Well, not quite. The purpose of DLI is to get you at least a 2/2/1+ on the DLPT 5... I just got out of DLI in January with a 2+/2/2 in Russian and I will be the first to admit that I am not completely fluent in the language, nobody is coming out of the Basic course. After graduation from DLI, you should be able to have a working proficiency with the language. As in, you will be able to communicate effectively with a native in the target language who is used to dealing with foreigners on pretty much any topic that is not VERY technical with jargon and all that. That being said, gaining that kind of proficiency in 6mo/1yr/1.5yrs (depending on language) is a very difficult task, get ready to work.

119 is indeed a great score, but you will be assigned a language based mostly on which classes are starting up nearest the time you check in. They are not going to have you sitting in casuals for 6 months waiting on a Farsi class when a Korean class is starting up in 3 weeks, for example. You get a preference sheet when you get there that will allow you to pick your top 3 choices, but don't expect them to put too much weight to it.

Don't worry too much about learning anything language-wise before you go. 1st off, like I said you have no way of knowing your language before you get there. Your orders will probably say Arabic like mine did, but it doesn't matter. 2nd, classes are so fast-paced that anything you do self-study wise or even in college courses from now until then will be covered and passed up after the first 1-3 weeks of class. Prior knowledge can even be bad in a lot of cases. People come knowing a little of their language and then don't put as much effort as they should into the coursework, after a couple weeks the course passes them and they never picked up on the study habits they should have gotten in the first couple weeks.

DLI itself is a great opportunity, especially considering you leave there 9 general ed credits away from an associates degree in your language assuming you don't CLEP out of them when you are there. Usually DLI is also a very laid-back place, just don't let partying interfere with studies... I personally didn't do much studying outside of class but I have seen WAY too many people from all services get stuck in very crappy MOS's because they would rather go drink at a hotel party at NPS or at the beach than work on thier language...

[richerich]

Good point, but if it were up to me, I'd do anything possible to put me ahead. (Proactivity) You never know how that extra knowledge will give you a push.... Plus, you may be looked to by others for help in understanding the material. Meritorious promotion, anybody?

Even so, if you don't put max effort in the course, you deserve to be dropped. Godspeed.

Don't worry too much about learning anything language-wise before you go. 1st off, like I said you have no way of knowing your language before you get there. Your orders will probably say Arabic like mine did, but it doesn't matter. 2nd, classes are so fast-paced that anything you do self-study wise or even in college courses from now until then will be covered and passed up after the first 1-3 weeks of class. Prior knowledge can even be bad in a lot of cases. People come knowing a little of their language and then don't put as much effort as they should into the coursework, after a couple weeks the course passes them and they never picked up on the study habits they should have gotten in the first couple weeks.

[TTX]

May be your recruiter is is trying to put you in something else since you have very high ASVAB score, and that is why he won't send you to bootcamp until September.

[pfister]

May be your recruiter is is trying to put you in something else since you have very high ASVAB score, and that is why he won't send you to bootcamp until September.

I'm not sure about that. I mean, he expressed to me that if a spot opened up sooner that he would put me there. I am really hoping that happens. I need to get out of this boring town. Anyway, I already have a pretty good MOS for the score that I got, in my opinion. I can't really imagine what else he would want me to do. I also have a fallback plan. I mean I signed an AG contract before I got the Linguist option. So, if I fail at the whole linguist thing (God forbid), I can always do Air Crew / Flight Mechanic / Navigator.

[KawiGunny]

I mean I signed an AG contract before I got the Linguist option. So, if I fail at the whole linguist thing (God forbid), I can always do Air Crew / Flight Mechanic / Navigator.

Probably send you to be a cook or even admin. Nothing personal to any of our cooks or admin people but when you fail out of a school, they pretty much send you to the bottom of the list. Not just drop you a notch or two.

[1stRad2671]

Good point, but if it were up to me, I'd do anything possible to put me ahead. (Proactivity) You never know how that extra knowledge will give you a push.... Plus, you may be looked to by others for help in understanding the material. Meritorious promotion, anybody?
.

Not. The Marines that have been there waiting to start class and the MLIs will teach you what you need to know and how you need to know it. Learning the language is your job. There's nothing meritorious about it.




Of those that I can remember rocking out of Arabic or doing something else causing them to be reassigned, one became a rigger, my roommate went to AMTRACs in Oceanside, and the other ended up in 3rd LAAD, not sure doing what though.

[jackson07]

And currently the Marines that fail DLI are not stuck in crap jobs. If you have a clearance you will most likely stay in Sigint or in another intel job. For those that don't you get decent jobs unless you get pulled out of class for non academic reasons. Good luck.