17C vs 25D: what's the differences, pros and cons?

SSG Michael Hathaway — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 06:51:10 -0400

I'm looking at reclassing. I have been following 25D for a couple of years now, eager to reclass to that. I even tailored my college towards that end. While my schooling has been more about policy and management, I have no problem getting into coding and other aspects. I have added classes to my degree plan to help accomplish this. I was mildly surprised when 17C was announced and now I'm stuck...what are the big differences between the two new classes? What are the pros and cons of each?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 7:18 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 07:18:24 -0400

Since no one has switched to 17C yet, the response to pros and cons can only be theoretical. 25Ds are supposed to be going out to the force, ie FORSCOM units, while 17Cs are supposed to be in Cyber Protection Brigade type units. 17Cs can also be both offense abd defense, while 25Ds are supposed to be purely defensive. On the other side, there is supposed to be more 25D slots which leaves more room for promotion.

I hope this helps.

Response by SSG Derek Scheller made Jul 14 at 2015 9:10 AM

SSG Derek Scheller — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 09:10:37 -0400

As SFC Private RallyPoint Member stated the 25D are supposed to be more defensive while the 17C can go off/def. I am reclassing to 25D in Aug and look forward to it, though my ultimate goal is to become a 170A WO. IMHO as I have been working with Cyber and Cyber Security for over 10 years now is that you can not truly know how to defend a network without first knowing how to break into one. So as the 17C are stated to be the ones that get taught both sides, I am anxious to see what the 25D school brings. I have been studying the offensive side for some time now as I have a CEH and CPT, so it is time to see what I can do in this course. If you truly want to know the difference one will require more Hacking the other will require more Vulnerability Mitigation and Incident Response.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2015 1:30 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 13:30:26 -0400

So both are groundbreaking and I recommend that if you are retirement minded and ready to blaze a new trail to get on board one of these MOSs now. You just have to look at the promotion to MSG for 25D to know that they will need to fill slots. That said, I would expect a trailblazer to give all they have to the profession to get it started and to build credibility for the new capabilities we expect from these specialties. From developing and refining METLs to performing actual operations, we cannot afford to have too long of a dwell time before we get these MOSs FOC and fully functional/effective.

Response by SFC Walter Lovett made Jul 17 at 2015 12:12 PM

SFC Walter Lovett — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 12:12:37 -0400

I graduated the 25D course in April 2015 and am assigned to the CPB. I switched from 25B to have a better chance at promotions. Nearly a 100% chance next year with my fist look as a 25D/17C. Also, the last update I got was that nearly all the 25Ds and 35Qs at the CPB will be automatically transitioned to 17C 1 OCT 2015 when the MOS officially is created.

As stated by CW4 Westbrook 25Ds are "Cyber Defense" and 17Cs are "Cyber Operations."

17C Critical Task List is more closely aligned with that of a 35Q than a 25D, but combining the skills into a single MOS provides the flexibility to legally "change hats" without having to switch seats for off/def operations.

In the near future 25Ds will be taking over all the IA/ COMSEC, and defense positions (mostly 25B slots) at the DIV/BDE levels.

I hope this helps. If you would like more info email me.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 29 at 2018 1:51 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 13:51:12 -0400

I am trying to re-class as well and trying to find more information about 17C and 25D. What was your biggest hurdle when trying to re-class. And what could have made it easier?