Posted on Oct 29, 2020
SPC Geospatial Intelligence Imagery Analyst
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I just graduated from language training but failed the DLPT and now I have to reclass. Can someone please tell me about AIT for either MOS in terms of difficulty, requirements, etc? And could you also tell me about how a typical day performing this MOS is, duty stations, how much you enjoy the job, etc?
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SSG Intelligence Analyst
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35F is shorter and will get you to a unit quicker. 35F are the face of the Intel community. the difficulty is what you make of the course. Each can be relatively easy if you are focused. I will say that I have had greater opportunities to see the world then what a 35G would get.
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SPC Geospatial Intelligence Imagery Analyst
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Thank you, SSG.
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SFC Intelligence Analyst
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35Fs can literally go anywhere - any type of unit, any duty station. You can work at tactical or strategic. I'm a 35F - in my 16 years I've been a BN S2, BDE S2, a targeting analyst at Cyber Command when it stood up and in indications and warnings at STRATCOM. I did a little time in a MI Company. I've been in a combat en bn, infantry brigade, two joint units. We're all source analysts so we take everything from the other INTs and put it all together - so we mostly do production. If you're in a 2 shop, you're going to do a lot of personnel security and some physical security. Personnel security is mostly security clearances - processing them.

It ultimately depends on the unit and mission what you do.

I went to AIT in 04-05 so I don't know what it's like now. I know they do a lot more automation from what I've heard from newer soldiers.
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SPC Geospatial Intelligence Imagery Analyst
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Thank you, SFC! I will keep that in mind while making my decision.
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CPT Staff Officer
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Prior 35F SGT here with a deployment. While deployed I worked mainly with 35S products, while CONUS I worked mainly with 35G products.

As a 35G you will learn the technical skills of imagery. None of which I really know well. I did pick up a few skills to pull imagery data for myself but certainly not the finer points of analyzing an image. I then also learned some points about 35S raw data while deployed.

As a 35F you will learn how to make presentations based on other Classified Reports and compile a more complete picture about a topic. Basically, what I thought (having gone in with a Master's degree) was anyone that was good at writing college reports and speaking in front of a room of people was going to do very well.

My biggest pet peeve is there is a failing with Database Management instruction. Duplicate records are rampant when trying to compile data from multiple sources. For example Bill G. Jones, William G Jones, Bill G Jones (notice the lack of a "." after G), Will George Jones, Bill George Jones are five different records in a database when in reality they are the same person and all correlating intel based on them needs to be consolidated. It's one of the more tedious things about being a 35F. Cleaning data, and making sure what you use for your analysis is sold information. NONE OF WHICH is taught in the school house. I only knew about it because of my civilian marketing analyst days, and you wanted to make sure you didn't send a mailer to the same person more than once.

As a 35F I have researched "individuals", I have researched "things", and I have researched "events", and I have used intel sources from nearly all typed of collection (signals, imagery, HUMINT, agency reports, etc....)

I got attached to an SF team as their personal analyst while down range . That would never have happened to a 35G.

35F = lots of thinking on your feet to make a product
35G = technical depth in imagery products

A good college researcher with a TS clearance can do a 35F job in the civilian sector. That's not the case so much with a 35G, and they learn a valuable specific skill.
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SPC Geospatial Intelligence Imagery Analyst
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Thank you so much sir! I’ll keep that in mind. My main resistant with 35F is the fact that I’m not too fond of public speaking, however I have heard that 35F promotes quickly and I’m very good at writing. I appreciate your insight.
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CPT Staff Officer
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SPC (Join to see) - Well, for the class you'll have to do a presentation as your final project. However, it took me a while to finally figure out (just before I finished college), that when giving a presentation in a classroom setting, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE CARES WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. Anyone that sharp shoots you runs the risk of getting shot at themselves when it's their turn.

Present within the first 5 of your class so you are still considered among the first, and are able to get the lay of the land from what to expect from the instructor, and you'll be able to adjust fire some.

The sooner you present the more folks in the audience are worried about their own presentation they have to do when it's their turn.

If you present first, no one wants to go next, if you are last everyone just wants you to shut up and be done with it.

This applies to all academic settings. Real Life is different.

When you finally get to a intel unit don't expect to be put in front of the Commander (COL+) anytime soon, that is unless your supervisors are proud of you and want to show off your briefing skills.
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