I have been interested in CID and civil affairs for a while. Any thoughts or advice for me?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 May 2016 13:56:43 -0400

Response by 1SG Dennis Hicks made May 13 at 2016 2:06 PM

1SG Dennis Hicks — Fri, 13 May 2016 14:06:31 -0400

Cival affairs will be going through some big changes in the next few Years, Big Army is already talking about getting rid of one of the AD CA BDE's. The Army went from generating CA Troops to "We have to many" The usual cyclic action in the military. I recommend looking up CA Missions and units to see what you want and what you need to accomplish to be qualified and also keep in mind that with shrinking slots comes more competition.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2016 1:45 AM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 14 May 2016 01:45:07 -0400

What specific questions do you have? I have been doing the job for a decade now and it is, in my opinion, one of the best jobs in the Army.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2016 5:04 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 14 May 2016 05:04:52 -0400

Counterintelligence Special Agent is kind of a cross between the two. They investigate cantonal security crimes and interact with civilians on the battlefield while conducting force protection operations.

Response by MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member made May 17 at 2016 8:45 AM

MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 May 2016 08:45:55 -0400

CA is a great job if you can make the cut. The career field is selective and it takes skills and a personality that not everyone has. That being said, I imagine they are very similar skills necessary to being a CID agent though there might be some where the two jobs diverge.

When I was a CA Team Leader, I expected my CA NCO to be a true self starter, adaptable, analytical, and able to operate alone with minimum guidance. Those are on top of the normal qualities expected from a Soldier, such as being a team player, a high level of physical fitness, etc. Any team level job in CA has the potential to be extremely challenging yet rewarding. We get to go places and have experiences that few other Soldiers will ever have the chance to do.

If you think you might fit the bill, apply to go to Civil Affairs Assessment and Selection. It really doesn't hurt to try. Don't self-select out, let the cadre decide. If you make it, you stand a great chance of having a rewarding career. If you don't make it, you can try something else. No one is going to look down on you. Good luck!

Response by COL Rich McKinney made May 17 at 2016 4:40 PM

COL Rich McKinney — Tue, 17 May 2016 16:40:35 -0400

I would recommend CA. I spent 15 of my 30 years there. I loved it. I have never worked in CID, but my only 2 "data points" were not very complementary.

Response by LTC Chuck Dietrick made May 17 at 2016 11:58 PM

LTC Chuck Dietrick — Tue, 17 May 2016 23:58:21 -0400

First of all review the Mos descriptions of each. Then check the pre-requisites. Finally, try to gind someone in both fields and talk with them about their experiences and thoughts. Both are exciting career fields, it just depends on where your interest and background lies.

Response by CW3 Michael Clifford made May 4 at 2019 8:15 AM

CW3 Michael Clifford — Sat, 04 May 2019 08:15:19 -0400

I was in CID for 17 years of my 20 and I would not have made it to retirement had I not changed MOSs and then went Warrant. I spent a lot of time away from the family with duty agent requirements, mission TDYs, schools and unaccompanied assignments. I was a Cold War soldier so I wasn’t involved with deployments. Had I not been down for orders to Scotland Yard and a short tour assignment to Korea, I most likely would have deployed to either Panama or the Gulf War. A career with CID will give you training, experience and knowledge in a lot of areas that will not be offered (hostage negotiations, protective services, FBI National Academy, forensics, sex-based crimes courses, fire investigators.