Advice on Career Path to 19th SFG?

Thanks for the replies.

I prefer crossword puzzles, word games, etc. more than models and building things.

Leaning towards the 35N now.

Do 35Ns in the 19th have the opportunity to do LLVI work or other things in the field, or is that reserved for SOT-As?

Have thought about possibly taking the clearance at some point and going to work for a federal agency as a lawyer.
 
Winter_Patriot said:
Do 35Ns in the 19th have the opportunity to do LLVI work or other things in the field, or is that reserved for SOT-As?
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”My” SOT-B was fully incorporated in our training so, if I needed an extra hand, I could use him as a collector. 35Ns are only fully useful if they’re connected to their network, which isn’t typically set up on the move or “outside the wire” by SF.

If you want to sit in a hide site, collect enemy comms, and get into gunfights, you need to go 35P but beware: SOT-As should be as physically fit, nearly as capable in field craft, and be able to get along with anyone when it sucks, as the guys they’re enabling. If an enabler cannot keep up, they’re a liability to the entire team but if they’re not enabling (JUST pulling guard duty, gunning in trucks, radio watch, etc) they’re a liability to the BN. SOT-As MUST be experts at telecommunications and intelligence but also tactically sound too; SF are the BEST teachers so don’t worry about not knowing as long as you’re learning and improving.

35Ns in 19th in Utah are working real-world stuff during drills so when one of their BNs gets mobilized, they’re already very proficient in analyst tools.
 
Very helpful info, thanks for the insight.

Do you know if 35N requires a CI poly? My recruiter said it didn't, but others online suggest that a poly is required. I'm not objectively worried but I am worried that general nervousness might skew my results. I had to take a poly for the FBI back in college and was inconclusive.
 
Winter_Patriot said:
Very helpful info, thanks for the insight.

Do you know if 35N requires a CI poly? My recruiter said it didn't, but others online suggest that a poly is required. I'm not objectively worried but I am worried that general nervousness might skew my results. I had to take a poly for the FBI back in college and was inconclusive.
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The MOS itself does not require a CI (not lifestyle) but the network they use does and without the network, a 35N isn’t an asset. Don’t worry about being nervous, it‘s a good trait as it indicates a desire to be truthful.

I‘m not sure they get a poly in AIT but you certainly will later in order to get access as waivers are extremely rare now.
 
Recruiter called me today and said that there are no 35N AIT spots available for the Guard for the rest of the fiscal year. He said that MEPS might be able to pull a spot from the active duty folks. I'll know for sure when I go to MEPS to enlist Friday.

If they can't an AIT spot for me, if I still want 35N, I'd have to do RSP for the rest of FY 2020 and then go to BCT/AIT sometime in FY 2021.

He suggested that I could still take the 35F contract (available now, would go to BCT/AIT in April) and then request to cross-train or reclass to 35N once I am at my unit in Bluffdale. Is that possible/practical? Even if it is, would it be bad form on my part? I don't want to waste resources or take a spot from someone else.
 
Winter_Patriot said:
Recruiter called me today and said that there are no 35N AIT spots available for the Guard for the rest of the fiscal year. He said that MEPS might be able to pull a spot from the active duty folks. I'll know for sure when I go to MEPS to enlist Friday.

If they can't an AIT spot for me, if I still want 35N, I'd have to do RSP for the rest of FY 2020 and then go to BCT/AIT sometime in FY 2021.

He suggested that I could still take the 35F contract (available now, would go to BCT/AIT in April) and then request to cross-train or reclass to 35N once I am at my unit in Bluffdale. Is that possible/practical? Even if it is, would it be bad form on my part? I don't want to waste resources or take a spot from someone else.
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Man, THAT is really odd.

We had a 35P who enlisted into the MI Det as a 11C (BCT/OSUT/MOSQ) then went to DLI & AIT when the slot opened. Dunno if that was the norm but we had many non-MOS’d soldiers in 35-series spots (even an EOD guy who took my team after I retire) awaiting school spots.

Have you spoken to the unit?
 
Have not spoken to the unit yet. Wasn't sure if that was appropriate or even possible as a civilian. I'll try to get some more info from my recruiter in the meantime.

At this point I'd really like to start serving and training in some capacity, especially since I am not far off the enlistment age limit.

Regardless of the MOS I end up with, I think the plan was to have me drill locally in the Recruit Sustainment Program (I live in Washington) until I ship to BCT/AIT.
 
Apologies, Washington state. I'd be traveling to Utah every month for drill once I graduate AIT. I have a county government job so it's pretty flexible and has a decent military leave policy. Probably the only reason I can afford to join the Utah National Guard while living out of state.
 
King County but I am one of the prosecutors who still believes in actually enforcing the law. I just don't get to do it very often. One reason I want to get out of here and do something more meaningful :mad:

Sounds good, thanks again for your input.
 
lindy said:
If you say King County, our relationship is over. :ROFLMAO:

Let me get back to you. WAARNG SIGINTers have an EXCELLENT reputation.
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All of the guys I've ever encountered from Washington State were awesome. The crew from SOD-P is hands down one of the best. Might not be a bad place to start out.
 
GOTWA said:
All of the guys I've ever encountered from Washington State were awesome. The crew from SOD-P is hands down one of the best. Might not be a bad place to start out.
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I was not aware of SOD-P or other SODs. Sounds like a good place to start, although I want to see this thing through with the 19th if possible.

Do you know much about the process for joining one? I couldn't find any info online. Not sure if they have their own recruiters like the 19th.
 
Winter_Patriot said:
I was not aware of SOD-P or other SODs. Sounds like a good place to start, although I want to see this thing through with the 19th if possible.

Do you know much about the process for joining one? I couldn't find any info online. Not sure if they have their own recruiters like the 19th.
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You'll be hard pressed to come in off the street and into an organization like that. I was generalizing Washington State units, not just the SOD. I have a couple Intel friends in a regular Guard unit up there and they really like it. Intel is a small, tight-knight community. Almost all the Intel units in a state interact with one another in some form or fashion.

It's good that you have ambitions and goals, but the Army is like any other entity. You will start at the bottom and over time, depending on your work ethic and personality, you'll build your own platform, reputation, and network. A lot of people try to shoot for the moon when they don't even have the plans for a rocket ship.
 
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You can check out 56th TIOG, right on JBLM. They share the building with SOD-Pac, they work with 1/19th SFG. I didn’t do anything in the unit but in process, and move on to do my own thing, but everything I’ve heard about the whole organization leads me to believe it’s a solid place to be or a good springboard to move on to other things.
 

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