Are certifications gaurenteed for army 17C MOS?

Connor Humphreys — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 22:19:38 -0400

I am looking into the cyber operations specialist (17C) mos in the army and the training says you get 6 cyber security related certifications. I did some research and found some people saying that the certifications are not gaurenteed and that you rarely get them. I was wondering if anyone would be able to clarify this for me on whether you get any of them.

Response by MSG Gary Eckert made Jul 19 at 2019 10:29 PM

MSG Gary Eckert — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 22:29:59 -0400

The certifications are all provided by commercial companies. You will receive IT boot camp style training but you will still have to take the test to receive the certification.

Response by CW4 Craig Urban made Jul 19 at 2019 10:30 PM

CW4 Craig Urban — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 22:30:25 -0400

I guess not when you cannot spell Guareented correctly.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 23 at 2019 12:02 PM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 12:02:15 -0400

Obtaining commercial certifications is not “guaranteed” while going through the 17C pipeline. You will receive some training however that the civilian sector rarely sees which you will receive a “certificate” for.

Commercial certifications are available, however their availability depends on your job role and the necessity of that certification. If your job role requires an IAT level III cert, for example, then you’ll be afforded the opportunity to get it. If not, then you can wait until it comes around.

Response by SPC Ted Ronayne made Aug 3 at 2019 8:18 PM

SPC Ted Ronayne — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 20:18:01 -0400

I'm not involved in the Cyber world, but from the 17Cs that I do know, I hear that you can get your certs. Also, just a personal idea, you can receive certs through the army COOL program. Fields with certs outside the army such as Intel, Cyber, logistics, etc can receive certs. It may take more effort on your part, but take heart. More effort is what will separate you from those just going through the motions, and will enable you to advance and stand above your peers.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 12 at 2019 1:55 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 01:55:10 -0500

You receive the training relevant to the certifications. That is the only guarantee. As long as you continue to pass and advance. There are various certifications that you can receive along the way as long as you pass the tests. Some certifications are just related to the training block (certificate of completion). Commercial certifications (CompTIA, Cisco, etc) are all dependent on receiving a voucher (sometimes they're not available) and passing that test. CompTIA Security+ is pretty much a requirement to perform the job of a 17C so if you can't pass that test, you can't do your job. The Army has provided me vouchers for many of the certifications I hold, as a 25B and as a 17C. I once went to a 2 week CISSP course and there were no vouchers for the test available so I received the training, but not the certification because I couldn't take the test. Received a lovely certificate of completion that only goes towards maintaining my other certifications. The bottom line is you still need to pass the tests, not just attend the training.