There is a misconception about “Military Intelligence” (MI) by those outside the military. They often imagine a scene from a spy movie. Instead of picturing the action-packed climax of a spy movie, rewind to where the field agent receives the mission brief. In addition to the agent, there is usually a reliable handler, know-it-all analyst, and aggressive chief. Don’t be fooled! An MI Officer can be any of these roles, but most often would be the know-it-all analyst. Being MI means that you utilize all intelligence assets to provide an assessment that guides action to achieve an objective. These skills allow you to save lives and be relevant at any scale. If you want a career that is purposeful, pivotal, and challenging, MI is the right choice for you.
Protecting the Most Valuable Asset – The Soldier
MI officers manage collected intelligence during military operations and provide essential information to commanders. It is often information that results in the taking or saving of lives on the battlefield. They evaluate risks associated with both friendly and enemy units, and act to identify, counter, and neutralize the threats. Your job requirements and operational priorities as an MI officer will depend on the mission and purpose of your organization. However, what does not change is your duty to protect our nation’s most valuable assets: the Soldier.
It’s a Team Sport
As I reflect back to when I was a first lieutenant on a return flight with my intelligence section from a deployment, one of my most satisfying moments was when I glanced across the aisle at my S2 NCOIC, SFC Grajeda (now MSG (P)). I felt a rush of joy and emotion as we gave thumbs up to each other. We were mission complete and had met our objective. Our team provided relevant intelligence that kept our Soldiers alive during war.
The section had many goals and we were proud of the role we played to enable the entire Battalion to return home without any fatalities. This deployment was the first time I was able to fully utilize my MI training and be immersed in the MI world. I witnessed the dedication and commitment that MI soldiers have for their craft and was, and currently still, impressed by the competence and professionalism they display.
The Best and Brightest
As a Military Intelligence leader, your Soldiers will have the highest enlisted aptitude test scores of all branches. This allowed me the opportunity to work with some of the brightest and most talented Soldiers. Make no mistake, these Soldiers will sometimes try to outsmart you and be more creative than is necessary, but they will also take initiative and find ways to do more and build capacity. Take advantage of your Soldiers’ enthusiasm and push them to attain their highest potential. Besides ensuring their safety, leaders should foster growth and expand the talent of their Soldiers through empowerment, mentorship, and training.
Relevancy
In my military career, I have had the honor and pleasure to hold a number of fulfilling and rewarding MI leadership positions. I have been the S2 (Intelligence Officer) for Armor and Infantry Battalions, the Company Commander for an MI Company in a Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and most recently, the S2 for an Expeditionary MI Brigade. No matter what echelon or unit I was worked in, I was the lead proponent for the Intelligence Warfighting Function and responsible for attaining knowledge and understanding of threats in both the garrison and combat environments.
Garrison
In a garrison environment, the role of the staff intelligence officer is to understand the vulnerabilities of government resources. This includes people, equipment, and information. The S2 also manages security programs to mitigate threats. These responsibilities may appear mundane but, without these security programs, seemingly small actions can have dire consequences. MI officers need to not only effectively gather information, but also need to protect it. Information about our assets and plans can devastate a mission if it is in the wrong hands. Due to this, MI officers need to be vigilant and assert security measures in all operations, even if it is unpopular with your peers and senior leaders.
Tactical
In a tactical environment, the S2 contributes to every facet of the organization. Intelligence drives operations. The S2 helps drive every step of the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP). He or she does this through the assessment of the enemy and the battlefield effects. During planning, the S2 provides significant value as the subject matter expert for weather, terrain, and the enemy. Simultaneously, the intelligence officer integrates assets, oversees analysis and collection, and provides actionable intelligence to current operations.
This is a challenging position to be in because of the constantly changing variables, the physical stress of the environment, and the emotional toll of knowing that operational plans are based on assessments that the MI officer provides. Overlooking a threat or misusing an asset can be crushing so it is essential that an MI Officer is prepared.
Why MI?
After college, I applied to Officer Candidate School (OCS). Initially, I was drawn to Combat Arms for reasons of “adventure” and the physical challenges. Personal anecdotes and views of prior enlisted MI Soldiers in the course swayed my decision. Their experiences convinced me that MI Branch would allow me to continually test my mental and physical agility. I would also be more exposed to the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of war. The opportunity to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the operating picture appealed to my analytic nature.
Stimulating and Challenging
Foremost for me, being MI has been intellectually stimulating and enriching. At the tactical level, there is a great thrill and sense of accomplishment of solving complex problems. In counterinsurgency campaigns, you are tasked with the tough job of being the driver for the Find, Fix, Finish, Exploit, Analyze, and Disseminate (F3EAD) process, which allows you to target High Value Targets. In Decisive Action Operations, you will be challenged mentally and physically under pressure to provide predictive and timely intelligence on the enemy to support the Commander’s decision.
Lifelong Learner
The MI profession requires you to be a lifelong learner in today’s dynamic and complex operational environment. The shifts in technology and geopolitical environment are renewing the threat of great power conflict, and the strategic environment challenges MI professionals to constantly adapt, evolve, and innovate. At all levels, MI leaders face the need to modernize the way we train, collect, and expand our PED (Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination) capacity. It comes down to quickly and accurately developing information into intelligence to support the Commander’s situational understanding.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Military Intelligence is a highly rewarding career. MI may get a reputation for being a bunch of nerds, but that is a limited stereotype. Intel officers are mentally and physically competent and able to match any other MOS stride for stride on the battlefield. MI officers are tactically proficient in both friendly and enemy strategies, while working collaboratively across branches and services. And, they are an example to the Soldiers they lead. An MI Officer is hungry for information to improve the operating picture and to better oneself as an expert and leader. If seeking challenges and pushing the limits of your potential is for you, then MI is your branch.
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