Job: Cryptologic Linguist (35P)

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To be a U.S. Army Soldier is to be a part of the strongest fighting force in the world. You'll spend your days training, working and serving together to protect America's freedoms. But you'll also have time after work for family, friends and personal interests. From recruitment to retirement, the U.S. Army provides a unique and diverse lifestyle for Soldiers.


The nation's defense depends on information from foreign language newspapers, magazines, radio broadcasts and other sources. Therefore, it's very important that some members of the Army be able to read and understand the many languages of the world. The Cryptologic Linguist is primarily responsible for performing and supervising the detection, acquisition, geolocation, identification and exploitation of foreign communications using signals equipment. Some of your duties as a Cryptologic Linguist may include:

* Identify foreign communications from an assigned geographic area and categorizing signals by activity type
* Analyze foreign communication for information to support mission reporting requirements
* Recognize changes in transmission modes and tipping the appropriate analytical or intercept authority
* Provide translation expertise to analysts
* Operate systems as needed to support Signals Intelligence tasking, reporting and coordination
* Provide gists, transcriptions, or translations of foreign communications

Job training for a Cryptologic Linguist requires nine weeks of Basic Training, where you'll learn basic Soldiering skills, and three to 80 weeks of Initial Entry. Part of this time is spent in the classroom and part in the field.

Soldiers who don't possess foreign language fluency will attend foreign language training at the Defense Language Institute for six to 18 months prior to attending Advanced Individual Training. While at AIT some of the skills you'll learn are:

* Gisting/transcription
* Identification of foreign communications from an assigned geographic area
* Categorizing signals by activity type
* Analysis of foreign communications for information to support mission reporting requirements
* Procedures for preparing reports
* Procedures for handling classified information
* Use and care of communications equipment

Helpful attributes include:

* A talent for foreign languages
* An interest in speech, communications and foreign languages
* An interest in working with people as a member of a team
* An interest in reading and writing

Advanced level Cryptologic Linguist supervises and trains other soldiers. As an advanced level Cryptologic Linguist, you may also be involved in:

* Lead independent team-level foreign communications processing operations
* Supervise the language training of subordinates

The skills you learn as a Cryptologic Linguist will help prepare you for a future with government agencies, embassies, universities and companies that conduct business overseas as a civilian translator or interpreter.

There's also potential for you to pursue a career as a government service executive. You'd be involved in determining and formulating policies, providing overall direction of federal, state, local or international government activities, as well as planning, directing and coordinating operational activities at higher management levels.

* Signals Intelligence Analyst (35N)

Learn more about the relationship between military training and civilian certification requirements.