Intelligence

Army Military Intelligence soldiers collect, analyze, and protect the information that drives every operation. Career Management Field 35 exists to answer the questions commanders ask before they act: Where is the threat? What is it planning? How can we stop it before it happens? The eight enlisted MOSs in this family each answer those questions through a different discipline.

CMF 35 spans four distinct tradecrafts. All-source analysts fuse intelligence from every available source into a single picture. Human intelligence collectors get that picture directly from people. Signals intelligence soldiers intercept enemy communications and electronic emissions. And systems maintainers keep all of it running. Most roles require a Top Secret/SCI clearance, which is one of the field’s defining characteristics and one of its biggest post-service assets.

If you are drawn to national security, foreign affairs, or technical problem-solving, this career field offers a path that almost no other enlisted field matches. The work is demanding, the clearances are thorough, and the civilian job market for veterans who come out of CMF 35 is among the strongest in the military.

At a Glance

Notes: Training lengths shown are AIT only and exclude BCT (10 weeks). The 35M and 35P pipelines include Defense Language Institute (DLI) training, which adds 36 to 64 weeks depending on assigned language. The 35L minimum enlistment age for full accreditation is 21.

Which Role Fits You?

The eight roles in CMF 35 divide naturally into four clusters based on what the daily work feels like. Pick the cluster that matches how you think, not just what sounds interesting.

All-source analysis and geospatial work suits people who are comfortable spending long hours at a computer building a picture from incomplete data. The 35F Intelligence Analyst is the broadest role: you pull from every source (HUMINT, SIGINT, imagery, open-source) and produce the assessments commanders read before they make decisions. The 35G Geospatial Intelligence Imagery Analyst does something more visually technical. You interpret satellite and drone imagery to identify threats, terrain, and targets. If you are drawn to maps, spatial reasoning, or remote sensing, 35G is the more specialized path. Both roles require ST 101 and a TS/SCI clearance. The 35G has a longer AIT pipeline and produces skills that translate directly to GIS careers at civilian agencies.

Human intelligence puts you face-to-face with people who have information the Army needs. The 35L Counterintelligence Agent hunts foreign intelligence threats, runs national security investigations, and develops sources to protect Army personnel and programs. The minimum accreditation age is 21, the training is selective, and the CI polygraph adds a layer of vetting beyond most intelligence MOSs. The 35M Human Intelligence Collector does source operations and direct collection: debriefing detainees, running sources, screening personnel on the battlefield. If you score well on the Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB), you may also attend the Defense Language Institute, which extends the training pipeline but adds serious post-service value. Both roles require ST 101 or higher and strong interpersonal skills that ASVAB scores alone don’t measure.

Signals intelligence and cryptology is the most technical cluster and demands the strongest ASVAB scores. The 35N Signals Intelligence Analyst processes and reports signals intercepts from fixed and tactical collection platforms. The 35P Cryptologic Linguist does the same work but uses a foreign language as the primary tool. You translate and analyze foreign voice communications, and your assigned language shapes your duty stations and deployment regions for your entire career. The 35S Signals Acquisition/Exploitation Analyst works the electromagnetic spectrum itself: identifying, geolocating, and analyzing electronic signals rather than voice content. All three require a TS/SCI clearance and a counterintelligence scope polygraph. The 35N and 35S train at joint facilities alongside personnel from other services, which gives you an interagency network from day one.

Systems and technical support is the right fit if you want the clearance and the mission but prefer building and fixing over briefing and analyzing. The 35T MI Systems Maintainer/Integrator installs, configures, and repairs the classified hardware and software that every other 35-series soldier depends on. With the highest ASVAB requirement in the field (ST: 112) and a 40-week AIT, it’s the most technically demanding training pipeline in CMF 35. The civilian payoff in IT and cybersecurity is direct and well-documented. Compare the comparison table above for side-by-side requirements across all eight roles.

Common Entry Requirements

All CMF 35 soldiers must be U.S. citizens. This is a hard requirement, not a preference, because the clearances these roles require cannot be granted to non-citizens. Most roles also require a high school diploma or GED and a minimum AFQT of 31 (diploma) or 50 (GED). The majority of CMF 35 training runs through Fort Huachuca, Arizona, home of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence. Exceptions are the 35N and 35P, which train at Goodfellow AFB in Texas, and the 35S, which trains at Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida. All eight roles carry a Top Secret/SCI clearance requirement, and most also require a counterintelligence scope polygraph. Normal color vision is required across the field. See each role’s profile below for specific ASVAB scores, training details, and additional requirements.

Career Field Directory

Analysis

• 35F Intelligence Analyst: all-source intelligence analysis and threat assessments for commanders at every level
• 35G Geospatial Intelligence Imagery Analyst: satellite and drone imagery exploitation to identify threats, terrain, and targets

Human Intelligence

• 35L Counterintelligence Agent: national security investigations and source operations to detect and counter foreign intelligence threats
• 35M Human Intelligence Collector: direct human source collection through questioning, debriefing, and source operations in tactical and strategic environments

Signals Intelligence and Cyber

• 35N Signals Intelligence Analyst: intercepts and analyzes foreign communications and electronic signals using ground and airborne collection platforms
• 35P Cryptologic Linguist: translates and analyzes foreign language voice intercepts using one or more assigned target languages
• 35S Signals Acquisition/Exploitation Analyst: searches, identifies, and exploits foreign electromagnetic signals across the full spectrum

Systems and Technical Support

• 35T Military Intelligence Systems Maintainer/Integrator: installs, repairs, and integrates the classified hardware and software systems that intelligence units run on

Related Resources

Explore all Army enlisted careers to compare CMF 35 against other career fields before you commit. If you’re preparing to qualify for one of these roles, our ASVAB study guide covers every line score composite, including how to target the ST score that most CMF 35 MOSs require. First-time testers who want to take the ASVAB from home should look at the PiCAT, the at-home alternative that can qualify you for a training slot before you ever visit MEPS.