ROTC Intelligence?

Question

I am thinking about doing ROTC throughout college--and hoping for a career field in intelligence.
When I get out of the AF, I would like a government job with the Pentagon, or Department of State, etc., (I know going through AF does not automatically guarantee me a job anywhere--but it could possibly)
I know someone who was an intelligence officer and she said that I have to be very specific on what type of intelligence work I want to do, IF I want a governement job when I get out. She said, for example, it would be pointless to do intelligence where I am just working with planes and different types of aircraft. She said I'd need to do counter terrorism, defense, etc.,

She also mentioned that as an officer in the AF, you give orders instead of doing--most of the time, if not, then all of the time. What I wondered is if anyone has had ANY experience with ROTC (particularly intelligence--and if they knew anything about working in counter terrorism)?

*career field with the AF in intelligence as an Officer.

Answer 1

When you sign into to AF ROTC you do not get guarenteed any job / field. You can APPLY when you are graduating / being commissioned but there is no guarentee.

And yes, your friend is right - the kind of intelligence work you do effects how employable you become after service.

Most USAF intel officers will be working tactical intelligence. That is working in the wings to identify / plot targets and tracking enemy order of battle and anti-aircraft defenses. Very important stuff and the procedures help in other areas too.

But what you sound like you really want to work with is national / strategic level intel. That is doing the satilite photos, tracking resouces, technical collection means (like that cool phone tapping overseas program) and more. You may / may not get lucky enough to work in that field as an Air Force officer. Likely to have to be at least a captain / major for that too... maybe 5-8 years service.

Another alternative if you are looking at using the military to pick up some specific skills to make you more employable is to ENLIST. No, you wont be working the big decision making but you can pick specific job fields that you will actually work in (like, satalite photo analysis etc...) that gets you into the field you want a lot faster.

Then you use the user-level experience from the USAF (or the Army too - US Space Command is joint) with your batchleors degree (maybe pick up that masters at night while analysing sat photos during the day) into a higher-paying and more responsibility job after service.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

ROTC will NOT make you and Intelligence Officer....that is a career field in the military. College ROTC prepares you for a military career. If you are serious about being a military officer, go talk to one and find out what it is like. If there are no bases near your home, find a forum online that caters to the military. Like any potential career, you MUST research it before you make a commitment. You are lucky you have the Internet!

Answer 3

first you will have to be certain that AFROTC will even get you into INTEL. In the Navy, ROTC is ONLY for Unrestricted Line( SWO, Subs, Aviation,) and INTEL is NOT possible unless you are found Not Physically Qualified for SWO or Submarines.