# Thinking Red : Professional goals.



## Swill (Oct 19, 2008)

IPs (and wannabes),

Let's hear what you want to do with your career in Intelligence. Do you like where you are now? If so, where do you see yourself in 5 years? If not, where do you want to go or what type of work do you want to do? If you aren't sure, feel free to say so.


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## EverSoLost (Oct 19, 2008)

Total Wannabee here.


Live to be older and wiser....


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## intelguru (Oct 19, 2008)

Well let’s see.....

Short term goals:

1.  Going to VA to attend an all source school for a month. (Was totally surprised I got chosen for that one since I am a PFC and it is usually E5 and above that are picked to go there)

2.  Become the lead Intel analyst in my shop which is going to happen by July 09.

3.  Continue my Russian lessons and become as proficient as possible.

4.  Work my but off for the next 2 and a half years till I get out.

Long term Goals:

1.  Get highered on by a 3 letter company.

2.  Work my way up through the ranks and hopefully work under cover or some kind of covert ops.

3.  And the most important take care of and watch my now 1 month old son grow up.


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## GSXRanger (Oct 19, 2008)

Short term:

1. Finish this deployment into the box, gain as much management experience as possible, learn as much Iraqi Dialect as I can, and bring all of my Soldiers home in one piece. 

2. Finish out my 1SG tour, mentoring as many HUMINT Soldiers as I can.

Medium term:

1. Warrant Officer Packet

2. Advanced Arabic course

3. SMU or Great Skills


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## SpitfireV (Oct 20, 2008)

Short term: 

Get my study leave approved

Learn as much about the job and how things operate as possible

Learn Russian

Medium: 

Go to intel

Move to drugs or CT eventually. 

Long term: 

Either stay where I am or move onto an external agency.


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## car (Oct 20, 2008)

Figure out what to do when I retire after 30 years.

I can pretty much guarantee it won't have anything to with Intel. 30 years is enough.


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## Poetic_Mind (Oct 21, 2008)

Short term goal: Travel to Germany to polish up on my German and start learning Russian. Obtain my AROTC scholarship.

Long term goal: Get MI as my MOS and do HUMINT. Perfect my Russian and start working on another foreign language.


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## FNG_tracker (Oct 21, 2008)

Short term: Leave Korea....more specificaly, 2ID

Long term: SOF support. Rumor has it they have finally accepted my MOS into the SOF support world. Any confirmation on that would be awesome. I am tired of going to all the cool guy briefings and being told that they dont have a slot for me. If I dont get there, i would like to go to Bragg or Carson out of here, or back on a Tranisition Team.


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## Marauder06 (Oct 21, 2008)

What's your MOS?


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## FNG_tracker (Oct 21, 2008)

oops...35H


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## Swill (Oct 21, 2008)

Spitfire, Poetic Mind, I've got a bunch of Russian books/materials for studying. PM me your mailing address and I'll send them to you. Save you guys some bucks...


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## Marauder06 (Oct 22, 2008)

Common ground station analyst?  I don't remember any of them being on the MTOE when I was in Group, but then again that was a long time ago.


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## FNG_tracker (Oct 22, 2008)

yep, thats me...we have a new tool we use, which i wont go into for opsec reasons, but i got an email from a recruiter over there looking for our MOS, but i was already on orders to Korea. I have not heard anything about that since, and he said he cant help until i am 3/4 of the way through my tour. I am just curious who wants us over there.


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## moobob (Nov 2, 2008)

I am still on the fence about going SF or trying to get into an SMU as a HUMINT guy.

Even if I go SF, I'd probably end up doing HUMINT eventually. Different routes to similar ends.

I guess that a short term, but never ending goal is to keep a good reputation by working as hard as I can.


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## Swill (Nov 5, 2008)

moob, have you been to SOC or ASOC?


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## GSXRanger (Nov 6, 2008)

SOC was good... ASOC was even BETTER. However, it's darned near impossible to get a seat these days.

STRAT-D is my next one... if I can ever get in there. I may have to wait until after WOBC.

That is, if I don't disappear after this rotation. :confused:


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## moobob (Nov 6, 2008)

No I haven't been to SOC or ASOC. I'm going to Ranger school in a few months. Not going to have a chance to do any intel schools until that's over with. My last unit had no money, and if they did, tended to send people to schools that didn't need the school i.e. Strat D.


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## Swill (Nov 7, 2008)

GSX, did you already find out about your warrant package?

moob, good luck at Ranger.


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## GSXRanger (Nov 7, 2008)

Sir, my warrant packet is complete... but, I am getting pinned as an E8 (fingers crossed) for this up and coming IZ rotation. I have avoided the promotion for the past three years, so I can stay operational as a Team SGT. I also am sitting in an E8 / CW3 slot at work, so I can go either route. 

The issue is MSG vs. 1SG. More than likely, I will be an MSG on this rotation, working as an OMT NCOIC. When I get back, they will probably want me to be a 1SG. As an NCO, I would be honored to be a 1SG, but my endstate is Warrant. That is the entire reason I left Group. 

I'm also considering the contracting world upon my return from IZ. 

Decisions, decisions... end the end, I have SIGINT and HUMINT experience, and lots of it. Now, I will have Management experience, and my heart leans towards Warrant. 

We shall see... we shall see.


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## GSXRanger (Nov 7, 2008)

Moob... memorize the Ranger Creed. That will save you some pushups... plus, they are words to live by. Also, get to know the 5 paragraph OPORD format, in the Ranger Handbook, like breathing. If you can plan an OPORD based on that simple "go-by"... you will be fine in Ranger School. Just don't get hurt... and NEVER NEVER QUIT!

RLTW!


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## moobob (Nov 7, 2008)

Thanks.


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## car (Nov 10, 2008)

GSX - I wouldn't recommend that any NCO avoid/turn down a 1SG job, but once you've run an OMT, then your next logical step IMO, if you have the inclination, is warrant. I had several W01's running my OMTs in Iraq who couldn't find their ass with bogth hands - no experience. I think your route is better. Just keep in mind that as a WO1, you'll be a pretty senior "new guy" and that there may be some frustration that comes with that.


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## EverSoLost (Nov 18, 2008)

mmmm


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## Marauder06 (Nov 19, 2008)

GSX, which ASOC class?  I was class 2.


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## SpitfireV (Nov 20, 2008)

Well that's one goal partly sorted. Got my study leave approved verbally yesterday, now just waiting for the official email.


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## EverSoLost (Nov 20, 2008)

Congrats Spitfire.


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## SpitfireV (Nov 20, 2008)

Well done ESL! I've got to brush up on my bloody grammar now :/


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## SpitfireV (Feb 6, 2009)

Quick update: I applied to take the National Certificate in Intelligence Analysis* (which work will pay for) and because I work outside of Intel currently I had to write a spiel about why I wanted to do it. So I was accepted and have to pass an "induction paper" (again because I work outside of Intel). 

I got the induction folder the other day...and it looks like the "induction" is actually the basic training for new analysts. So there's a bonus! The stuff on link diagrams/matrices and toll analysis has perked my interest quite a bit in particular. 

Fascinating stuff.



* http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/explore/domain.do?frameworkId=75783


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## EverSoLost (Feb 7, 2009)

Very Cool!


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## SpitfireV (Feb 8, 2009)

Right now there's a question (with no right or wrong answer) detailing your vision for Intelligence. I'm making a case for UAVs and SIGINT right now. So yes, very cool


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## Ajax (Mar 13, 2009)

1.  to make it back all my parts and no holes
2.  to not put out bad poop


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