Actually, that's a common misconception. In fact, my job (in a real war) is to be behind the enemy line with a squad of 19d (Cavalry scouts). Most Tactical Intelligence Analysts are attached to cavalry units and go either to or beyond the front line until we reach a rank where we are slightly less expendable.
I mean, were not the most expendable, but we are trained to do a specific job. We capture/receive intelligence, analyze it, and send it back to command. The modern day intelligence soldier is nothing like the desk-jockeys of yester-year.
Let me walk you through one of my "cycles" while I was over:
First, wake up at abound dawn, then 3S. After that, breakfest and daily briefing in the TOC (Tactical Operations Command), we'd get the days target packets, pick priorities, and assign them out. Next, we'd bring our vehicle to whatever unit was hitting our priorities. We'd patrol with them till given the final go, then they'd strike.
They'd hit the building and secure it. I'd go in (usually giving the turret to someone else) and photograph everything quickly while we gathered evidence and detainees. We'd head back to base. The unit that went with us would goto debrief, we'd take the detainees to the med station. The medics would inspect the detainee while we checked all the evidence in (cataloging weapons and such). The medics would finish their checks on the detainees and approve/disapprove them for interrogation. If approved, we'd take them to solitary holding for the night, if disapproved, we'd arrange transportation to a detainee medical holding facility. Then, we'd return to the TOC and analyze the evidence. Find anything time sensitive and interrogate the same night if we needed, otherwise we'd do a hand-over to the night-team. THey would check anything we had to see if it matched their stuff, and then we'd goto sleep. night team did same basic thing, but at night.
Next day, we'd get breakfest and take the detainees from holding to interrogation. We'd spend the day going between interrogations and evidence analysis. When we were finished with a detainee, we'd tag his belongings with his detainee number and send him up the chain. Any weapons would be turned over for disposal. Then, we'd start prepping for the next day.
I did that for about half my time over before being promoted to PFC and assigned a different job.
I wasn't a door-kicker or anything, but I was still out there in sector. The old days of intelligence are dead. While we still have people who sit and analyze satellite footage all day, but the best intelligence we get comes from boots-on-the-ground work, experience, and analysis.
I can name very few people that were my age when I was in Intel that had jobs requiring as much professionalism as mine did.
Topic: Qualified to manage you but not old enough to drink (Read 9655 times)
Recent Posts