A.<\/strong> Specialists E-4s who have been in the Army for at least 36 months and have\u00a0held that rank\u00a0for at least eight\u00a0months, along with sergeants who are not in\u00a0a promotable status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. What are the requirements?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. <\/strong>The basics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The full requirements for the MOS are available in the MOS\u00a0Smartbook\u00a0(DA Pam 611-21).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jamie Turner instructs soldiers at 35L training in Fort Huachuca, Arizona.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo Credit: Tanja Linton\/Army<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. Can I get a waiver?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A.<\/strong> For some of the above, yes. Color vision waivers are possible, for instance, and family-citizenship waivers can be easy to obtain depending on the home country of the family member in question: An official said a spouse from Canada, for example, likely wouldn’t stall an application packet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Family members from other countries where “current and ongoing subversion is known to take place” could present a problem, according to an emailed response to questions from program officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Waivers are rarely awarded for poor test\u00a0scores. Program officials suggest re-taking the test\u00a0with support from your local education center to avoid the waiver process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Waivers will not be granted for rank, time in service or time in grade, or security-clearance concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. How many can qualify?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A.<\/strong> The program had 518 authorized spots for E-5s as of July 8,\u00a0with 427 of those occupied. That’s an 82 percent fill rate rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. I thought specialists were eligible?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A.<\/strong> They are, but they won’t be E-4s for long. That is because 35L is a STAR MOS at the grade of E-5, which means soldiers who graduate from the 17-week-plus Counterintelligence Special Agent course\u00a0at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, will arrive at their new duty stations\u00a0as newly minted sergeants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. How do I apply?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A.\u00a0<\/strong>Find a field agent and express your interest in the program. After an initial interview, about 20 minutes long, you’ll be given the full application packet and instructions. It’ll take about a week to put together, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you’re done, you’ll need to sit for a three-hour interview,\u00a0which includes timed writing samples. You’ll have to provide a motivation statement \u2014 why you want to join the counterintelligence ranks \u2014 as well as a biography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. How long does the process take?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A.<\/strong> Applications are screened once a month, and selected\u00a0soldiers are slotted into the next available\u00a0training course \u2014 Huachuca runs three of them each year, and officials say there are seats available throughout the sessions. Once an applicant completes the packet, he or she should expect a response in 30 to 90 days, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. How do I stand out as an applicant?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. <\/strong>Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jamie Turner, course manager for the 35L program at Huachuca and part of the panel that approves applications, said the best applicants show “the ability to put that two-hour conversation with somebody into writing” \u2014 a must-have skill for 35Ls in the field. The timed essays provide more than just facts about the candidate, Turner said, also serving as a way for evaluators to judge writing ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An engaging personality \u2014 one more likely to develop sources of information, or get a subject to open up in an interview room \u2014 is another plus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. What’s the training like?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. <\/strong>The course focuses on proper interview and meeting techniques, Turner said \u2014 walking soldiers through the right ways to ask questions and take information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And be ready to write. A lot. Various types of reports make up the bulk of training assignments, and soldiers without strong writing skills will struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Problems with compiling reports are a chief reason why some soldiers do not complete the training, Turner said. He offered a tip to get a leg up on the competition: Familiarize yourself with the types of computer software (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, etc.) that some soldiers try their best to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. Where will I serve?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A. <\/strong>The short answer: anywhere. In addition to the Army’s various\u00a0military intelligence groups, brigades and battalions, brigade\u00a0combat teams of multiple stripes (infantry, Stryker, etc.) include\u00a0counterintelligence positions, as do various infantry and airborne\u00a0units stationed around the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Field agents can be found near any U.S. post, Turner said, as well as overseas, with multiple positions in South Korea, Italy and Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q. What will I do?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A.<\/strong> CI agent tasks include obtaining foreign intelligence and detecting and neutralizing terrorist threats targeting U.S. forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An 18-year veteran of Army counterintelligence, Turner said the daily grind can be a bit of a crap shoot, though agents frequently interact with FBI and CIA officials, as well as fellow soldiers and Army civilians who may be reporting wrongdoing or part of an investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regional law enforcement liaison work also plays a part\u00a0and could be location-specific \u2014 more time with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for field agents near the border, for instance, and less time working outside the base gates for agents in foreign countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enlisted soldiers will work side-by-side with officers and warrants, Turner said, often out of uniform (field agents are more likely to be found in polo shirts) and sometimes in the same interview setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “You really know that person; you feed off each other when you’re conducting an interview for an investigation,” Turner said. “You’re in a suit and tie, or in polos and khaki \u2026 all of my enlisted agents are always respectful of me, and I rely on them. I may have an off day, and they’re on, and they come up with all the questions we need to ask.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635732668388425747-img-6107jpg.jpg\")
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