35P Cryptologic Linguist
About the role
As a Cryptologic Linguist in the Army National Guard, you will interpret foreign communications and present intelligence to decision-makers. You will earn a security clearance and perform or supervise the detection, acquisition, geolocation, identification, and exploitation of foreign communications using specialized signals equipment.
Responsibilities
- Identify and analyze foreign communications
- Categorize signals by activity type
- Recognize changes in transmission modes and report the change
- Provide translation expertise to analysts
- Support Signals Intelligence tasking, reporting, and coordination
- Provide transcriptions or translations of foreign communications
Skills you'll learn
- Identifying foreign communications from an assigned geographic area
- Analyzing foreign communications to support missions
- Procedures for handling classified information and preparing reports
Qualifications
- Military enlistment in the Army National Guard
- Must be at least a junior in high school, or have a high school diploma or a GED certificate
- Must be between the ages of 17 and 35
- Must be able to pass a physical exam and meet legal and moral standards
- Must meet citizenship requirements (see NATIONALGUARD.com for details)
Helpful skills
- Talent for foreign languages
- Interest in speech, communications, and foreign languages
- Ability to work as a team member
- Enjoy reading and writing
Training
Job training requires 10 weeks of Basic Training and three to 80 weeks of Advanced Individual Training (AIT), with part of this time in the classroom and part in the field. Soldiers without foreign language fluency will attend training at the Defense Language Institute for six to 18 months prior to AIT. Completion of initial entry training could lead to additional college credit.
Career prospects
Through training, you will develop skills and experience for a civilian career as a translator for government agencies, embassies, universities, and companies that conduct business overseas.
Pay and benefits
- Paid training
- Monthly paycheck
- Earn a security clearance
- Montgomery GI Bill
- Federal and State tuition assistance
- Retirement benefits for part-time service
- Low-cost life insurance (up to $400,000 in coverage)
- 401(k)-type savings plan
- Student Loan Repayment Program (up to $50,000 for existing loans)
- Health care benefits available
- VA home loans
- Bonuses, if applicable
- Most non-prior service candidates initially earn between $200 and $250 per drill weekend, subject to change
- Additional monthly pay for maintaining language proficiency: $100 to $500 per month for primary language depending on proficiency level, up to $1,000 total if maintaining proficiency in additional languages