Advice on Re-Classing to Military Intelligence?

2014-05-27T13:01:23-04:00

Hello, I am curently serving as Military Police in the Reserves and I just finished my BA in Homeland Security. I am interested in getting my direct commisison and reclassing to MI. Does anyone from this community have any advise, preferred jobs or specialties I should be looking at? Is there anyone in the Navy or Coast Guard Intelligence fields on here? I am thinking of transitioning out of the Army into anther component.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 4 at 2014 4:44 AM

2014-11-04T04:44:42-05:00

I reclassed from 31B to 35F years ago. I would recommend that reclass as an enlisted Soldier, then direct commission. It can be hard to get MI as an officer from what I hear. Your command will need to support this though.

Response by SGT Lee Briggs made Nov 12 at 2014 12:46 AM

2014-11-12T00:46:57-05:00

I would recommend reclassing to a 35M or 35L as an enlisted, and then go for your warrant. This is the route I see most people taking that is effective. Of course the structure of your reserve MI unit will dictate your ability to become an officer.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2016 6:37 PM

2016-04-23T18:37:05-04:00

If you could find a Reserve Unit and show them how your skills can help their mission, perhaps they will help you into MI. That's how I did it.

Cheers

Response by LTC Mike Kozak made Jun 19 at 2021 12:12 PM

2021-06-19T12:12:37-04:00

Dayna, I think transitioning is a great idea. There are many great opportunities for you in the in the MI field. After spending time as an MP, you probably have acquired great interpersonal skills or at least are able to engage with people to collect information. If so, a humint collector/interrogator might be a seamless transition. Also, a counter intelligence agent would fit nicely.

The Mi field has significant entry requirements, such as asvab (do they still call it that), background (security clearance TS/SCI), and in some cases even polygraph. Although I believe the army has dropped some language requirements, if you speak a foreign language that’s a huge plus. Otherwise, you may have to go to DLI to learn one. That’s up to a year long PCS to beautiful Monterey California.

I’ll tell you as a former MI company and battalion commander, readiness was constantly a moving target, because it can take literally 2 1/2 years before you would ever see a soldier after they leave for BCT, language and AIT. However, huge opportunities in the public and private sector become available. I can easily say over a two-year span as battalion commander I lost a dozen or more great intelligence practitioners to the CIA, FBI, NSA, and all the other alphabet agencies.

Lastly, there are intelligence units literally throughout the country from New York to the Midwest through Utah and California. So I say go for it. Let me know if you need any other advice or perhaps other fellow MI professionals can chime in. Always Outfront!