Criminal Justice Career Option: Intelligence Specialist
What They Do
Intelligence specialists in the military perform some or all of the following duties:
Study aerial photographs of foreign ships, bases, and missile sites
Study foreign troop movements
Operate sensitive radios to intercept foreign military communications
Study land and sea areas that could become battlegrounds in time of war
Store and retrieve intelligence data using computers
Study foreign military codes
Prepare intelligence reports, maps, and charts
Helpful Attributes
Helpful school subjects include algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and geography.
Helpful attributes include:
Ability to organize information
Ability to think and write clearly
Interest in gathering information and studying its meaning
Interest in reading maps and charts
Training Provided
Job training consists of 9 to 24 weeks of classroom instruction, including practice in intelligence gathering. Training length varies depending on specialty. Further training occurs on the job and through advanced courses. Course content typically includes:
Planning aerial and satellite observations
Preparing intelligence reports, maps, and charts
Analyzing aerial photographs
Using computer systems
Work Environment
Intelligence specialists work in offices on land and aboard ships, and in tents when in the field.
Civilian Counterparts
Civilian intelligence specialists generally work for federal government agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency or the National Security Agency. Their duties are similar to those performed by military intelligence specialists. The analytical skills of intelligence specialists are also useful in other fields, such as research or business planning.
Opportunities
The services have over 26,000 intelligence specialists. Each year, they need new specialists due to changes in personnel and the demands of the field. After job training, they collect information and prepare maps and charts under close supervision. With experience, they are given more responsibility for organizing intelligence data. Eventually, they may become chiefs of intelligence units.