Ask A Spook! Cryptologic Questions

[mb11g]

Originally Posted by CTT1(SW)Griffin

Sorry if that came off blunt lol Wasn't intended. I got nothing but love for my IS brothers and sisters ;)

/r
CTT1

If only I could get a good ELINTER for my 9-5 ;)

[xboardr]

So I've been lurking on these forums for the past month as I prepare to ship out, but now I'd like to get a couple questions off my chest. I'll be fairly detailed in giving some background as to why I'm asking my questions so I'll BOLD AND ITALICS my questions just so they stand out.

I am 26 with about 3 years of college under my belt so I'll be entering boot camp as an E-3. I have signed up for CTI with an ASVAB AFQT of 98 and a DLAB of 140. I have previous foreign language experience: about 4 years of French (middle school through freshman year of high school), 1 year of Latin, 2 years of Chinese in high school, and a semester of Italian in college. I read in one of the posts that signing bonuses are based on what language you get in part, but I already have a contract for a signing bonus signed and filed so I don't think I have to worry about that. I leave for boot camp in 12 days on March 16, 2016. I was originally scheduled to leave on April 13th, but talked to my recruiter and was able to move my ship out date up because apparently another CTI recruit or something got themselves kicked out.

Anyway, I'd really love to learn Arabic. The challenge of the language seems like it'd be super fun to learn. I also really want to learn Russian some day, but being a CAT III language I think I'd be better off choosing a CAT IV language to start with (if I have the opportunity). I did read in an earlier answer that which language you are given is partially dependent upon previous foreign language experience and while I don't have anything against Chinese, I'd really rather study a different language. Will my previous training in Chinese hinder my ability to select a language like Arabic?

I am also concerned with the specific COE's after A School. I know that each of the four NIOC locations in Maryland, Georgia, Texas, and Hawaii all cater to a different set of languages (if my information is correct), but can anyone confirm which language set corresponds to which NIOC? If I'm correct I think I've read that Maryland is Russian and Georgia is for Middle Eastern languages. Of course if this information is supposed to be classified I'll drop the subject.

All in all, I'm a very avid fan of studying language. I would love stay in the Navy for life and I have also heard that CTI's get additional opportunities to continue learning language. Can anyone confirm if, when you re-enlist while CTI, you are given the option to return to the DLI to learn another language? Or are your language learning opportunities limited more to classes that are taught on the side? I think it would be fantastic to retire from the Navy knowing 3+ languages besides English.

My recruiter says I should pretty easily be able to E-5 within 1.5~2 years with my intelligence and test-taking ability. While I'd like to believe him, what are my chances of ranking up to E-4 while at the DLI within 6~9 months of boot camp? And what are my chances that if I DO rank up to E-4 that I am able to then rank up again within 1~1.5 years to E-5? I know I read in an earlier post that hitting E-5 before you hit your first duty station can actually be detrimental because you won't have really any hands-on experience in the Navy and you won't have earned the respect necessarily of your fellow Sailors which is necessary since E-5's command a fair amount of responsibility if I am correct. However, that being said, I think I am ready for that challenge and I definitely want to take every opportunity I can to move up the ladder when the next rung becomes available.

And finally. I know that being male, I have to volunteer for air and sub. I'm not interested in seeking out direct support positions at this time. I am friends with a retired Senior Chief and he suggested that if I am able that I should try to get myself attached to an air squad or to a sub, but I'm not quite sure I like that idea. That being said, if I do not want to become attached and I am fine with the normal CTI CONUS/OCONUS, do I have to go to air and sub school just because I am forced to volunteer? Or do you only go to the schools if you are going to be attached?

I know that was a huge wall of text and information, but thank you to everyone who hung in there. I'm really excited to ship out and even if y'all can't answer my questions, thanks for trying!

[DGladhill]

I'm fairly certain you don't have to volunteer for air or subs. And though I'm not heading in as a CTI, I think I've read that you really get no choice in what language you get.

Enjoy basic though, I leave Monday and it's supposed to be a warmer than average spring up in Great Lakes! #excited

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by DGladhill

I'm fairly certain you don't have to volunteer for air or subs. And though I'm not heading in as a CTI, I think I've read that you really get no choice in what language you get.

Enjoy basic though, I leave Monday and it's supposed to be a warmer than average spring up in Great Lakes! #excited

In order to go Aircrew of Subs you must volunteer. If you don't want to go there then don't volunteer yourself. You can't be assigned those duties without that signed Page 13 though. Also, if you want out of those programs later on you can always drop out of them, as they are volunteer only.

Also, CTI's usually do get some limited pick based on their scores and what's available. All of the CTI's I work with had some what of a say (again, only based on what was available and what they qualified for).

/r
CTT1

[ejrwelch]

So I'm answering in reverse order. I graduated about a year and a half ago from DLI anywho here we go!

when you sign for CTI you DO sign a paper saying you volunteer for aircrew/sub. Those billets are sparse though. During your last few months at A school you'll get a dream sheet and can put shore as your top 3 choices. chance are you will get it. You do not go to sub school as a rider but would go to aircrew school as aircrew. You will NOT get outconus orders your first tour since you have to go to your F school which is located at one of the four permanent duty stations.

You can not make e4 until after you graduate your a school. So if you take one of the harder languages thats almost a year and a half in. You may get frocked right after graduation or a few months later at your PDS. Depending on when you make e4 will depend on which cycle you'll be able to test for e5 first. For example I got frocked in Dec and that was the cut off for the Mar cycle. You can make E5 fairly quickly but the advancement exam is killer. That's about all I can say on it. I do know several people who did pass it on their first time up though. I just tested for the third time today! -_- E5 is the technical expert so having experience helps alot and will make you a better E5.

What you find on the Internet about where people go is pretty accurate. Those are the four you can go to on first tour depending on language. good job researching it prior to!

if you reenlist you can get it in your contract to go back to DLI. I'd personally never want to go back. There are a lot of resources (open to everyone in the military! pm if in and interested in learning a second language!) available to teach yourself an additional language. I'm working on language 3 and 4 right now! Yay me!


Language assignment is very random and needs of the navy. I got lucky as was asked what I wanted and got my 2nd choice. woo. The CTICS who assigns the language won't know about your experience unless you tell them. So don't bring it up if you don't want to. They also try to put you in something other than what you know so they can get the most out of you. You can DLPT in Chinese and try to get that extra pay if you think you can do well enough!

[Jack]

General question re: the SSBI, how deep do they go? Only reason I ask is I had a few speeding tickets in my younger years that my recruiter told me weren't on my record anymore and thus she didn't put it on my SF-86 (although I have an unnerving feeling this is a mistake). Any advice on the subject? I take my DLAB on the 18th and I'm nervous that it will all be a waste of time

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by Jack

General question re: the SSBI, how deep do they go? Only reason I ask is I had a few speeding tickets in my younger years that my recruiter told me weren't on my record anymore and thus she didn't put it on my SF-86 (although I have an unnerving feeling this is a mistake). Any advice on the subject? I take my DLAB on the 18th and I'm nervous that it will all be a waste of time

An SSBI goes back 10 years.

That being said, if they DO find something that they don't like then your investigator will talk to you about it and you can explain what's up. Just be straight forward and honest and you should be fine. Speeding tickets (as long as we're not talking habitual or felony level) shouldn't be a huge issue.

Things that would really trip up an investigation would be things like ties to foreign countries/nationals, excessive unexplained debt (ie, not a car loan or student debt), drug or alcohol issues, that kind of thing.

tl;dr
Don't sweat it, you're fine.

/r
CTT1

[Jack]

Foreign nations might trip me up. I have a few friends from Israel who serve in intelligence and special units, but I put all of them down on my SSBI. As for my loans, my credit is all good so I'm not worried

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by Jack

Foreign nations might trip me up. I have a few friends from Israel who serve in intelligence and special units, but I put all of them down on my SSBI. As for my loans, my credit is all good so I'm not worried

Oh yea, I would say that's important!

Your best bet is to be 100% open with that stuff. If they even have an idea you might be lying and it's concerning ties to something like Israeli intelligence? They aren't going to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Be 100% forthcoming and honest. That's my best advice. If you hide it they will find it, and that'll be the end of the road. So just don't haha That's not a disqualifying factor in itself, but you will need to be very clear about it if they have questions.

/r
CTT1

[Barbazu]

How much can a spook tell their wife about what they do? Can I just say, "I work with computers (CTN)" or can I tell her more?

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by Barbazu

How much can a spook tell their wife about what they do? Can I just say, "I work with computers (CTN)" or can I tell her more?

That's about it really. You can't discuss anything about what you're working on, what the missions are, what capabilities your shop does or doesn't have, who works on what, security strengths or weaknesses, mission successes or failure, etc, etc, etc.

She doesn't need to know what you do outside the of job sheet description. Anything more than that and you risk going to jail for a long, long time.

My wife knows I go chase bad guys at work. That's about it haha She doesn't need, nor want to, know more than that.

/r
CTT1

[Barbazu]

Gotcha. That's what I figured.

[Jack]

Anyone got any tips for the DLAB? More specifically the stress syllables and the visual section? Those two are throwing me for a pretty nasty loop

[FlyNavy]

Bumping for all the recent CT questions.

[FlyNavy]

bump

[Cklansdell2]

Hello, I'm a paramedic right now so I am accustomed to be able to move around and not be stuck in a office. I signed as a CTR will I be stuck in a closet on a ship for my work space?

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by Cklansdell2

Hello, I'm a paramedic right now so I am accustomed to be able to move around and not be stuck in a office. I signed as a CTR will I be stuck in a closet on a ship for my work space?

Not at all. If you do end up on a ship, the classified space you work in is just one of the places you'll be. You'll spend plenty of time out and about the ship; don't sweat it. Really you'll just be in there to do any classified work, stand watch underway, or occasionally do quarters. If anyone tells you that because you do classified work that you'll be holed up somewhere away from the world your whole career, they're full of sh!t.

CTR's can also go many places, of which a ship is just one. Ships, aircrew, subs, shore, and after your 1st tour maybe Special Warfare. So it's possible you'll end up on a boat, sure. But it's also entirely possible you end up going flying, or ride under the waves, or whatever you wanna try and go do.

/r
CTT1

[Cklansdell2]

Originally Posted by CTT1(SW)Griffin

Not at all. If you do end up on a ship, the classified space you work in is just one of the places you'll be. You'll spend plenty of time out and about the ship; don't sweat it. Really you'll just be in there to do any classified work, stand watch underway, or occasionally do quarters. If anyone tells you that because you do classified work that you'll be holed up somewhere away from the world your whole career, they're full of sh!t.

CTR's can also go many places, of which a ship is just one. Ships, aircrew, subs, shore, and after your 1st tour maybe Special Warfare. So it's possible you'll end up on a boat, sure. But it's also entirely possible you end up going flying, or ride under the waves, or whatever you wanna try and go do.

/r
CTT1

Thank you... I would love to do air crew... Not a fan of being cooped up all the time so I was worried about that

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by Cklansdell2

Thank you... I would love to do air crew... Not a fan of being cooped up all the time so I was worried about that

Don't be. You can get out and about as much as you want.

/r
CTT1

[jccjmgc]

CTT1(SW) Griffin -

Great thread with a ton of useful information about the CT community. My son is getting ready to go in after he graduates high school in May, and is trying to decide between CTT AEF, CTT and CTR. His ASVAB scores are high enough for all three, so should be no issues there.

Do you happen to know what the drop/fail rate is for the AEF school? I was a NUKE, and I remember that if you failed out of nuke school you went into the conventional Navy as your rate (MM, ET, EM). Is CTT AEF similar? Is the AEF school anything to worry about?

Also - do the CTT AEF guys get to do the same ops stuff as the CTTs? He wants to also be involved in operating the equipment, and not just repairing. Being a push button E-4 is intriguing from an advancement perspective, but are there any other advantages for being CTT AEF vs. CTT.

Thanks so much!

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by jccjmgc

CTT1(SW) Griffin -

Great thread with a ton of useful information about the CT community. My son is getting ready to go in after he graduates high school in May, and is trying to decide between CTT AEF, CTT and CTR. His ASVAB scores are high enough for all three, so should be no issues there.

Do you happen to know what the drop/fail rate is for the AEF school? I was a NUKE, and I remember that if you failed out of nuke school you went into the conventional Navy as your rate (MM, ET, EM). Is CTT AEF similar? Is the AEF school anything to worry about?

Also - do the CTT AEF guys get to do the same ops stuff as the CTTs? He wants to also be involved in operating the equipment, and not just repairing. Being a push button E-4 is intriguing from an advancement perspective, but are there any other advantages for being CTT AEF vs. CTT.

Thanks so much!

Hey there,

I personally don't know anyone who's dropped from the Tech track (AEF CTT's are SLQ-32 techs, so we typically differentiate by calling them techs versus us operators). If the pipeline is still the same at Corry, they will go through A-school first anyway so they should already have a rate before starting the meaty portion of tech training.

Yes the techs absolutely operate the gear. All that extra training they get is in maintaining the gear, but they're still operators regardless. The operators (guys who didn't do the 6y track) will also be doing plenty of maintenance as well, they just won't have the in-depth knowledge the way the techs do.

The AEF track will pretty much guarantee you're going to a ship since those are the only platforms with that system. So keep that in mind as well. Other than that, they usually get enlistment bonuses (this changes yearly though based on manning levels) and have credible skills in electronics.

Really any of those jobs he picks will be great. There really isn't a bad CT job in my opinion. We have one of the best lifestyles in the Navy. Feel free to ask me anything else that comes up!

/r
CTT1

[Joribear]

My son is currently at RTC and I just received my first personal letter from him. He has a contract for CTR and asked me to find out what he'd be doing as a CTR.

We both realize, of course, due to the classified nature of the CTR that the only way he'll EVER know what he'll be doing is when he's actually doing it. He's just worried that his job will just be sitting at a desk with a computer and headphones on all day.

He's always been an "active" kid - the saying "grass doesn't grow under his toes" definitely fits for him. He originally started his path to the Navy for the Nuke program, but found out at MEPS that he has a tritan color deficiency, so that knocked Nuke out and with a 94 ASVAB, he wasn't about to just do "anything" in the Navy!

Any CTR advise I can give this active young man?

[Barbazu]

I'm not a CT, but I worked with them at Corry Station quite a bit. CTR are SIGINT (signals intelligence). They collect, analyze and crack various types of signals. As far as it being a desk job... ummmm... I haven't been with them in the fleet, but what I've seen of them in their actual training it's very computer intensive and tends to take place mostly while sitting. However, there are some awesome possibilities. I know one guy that graduated A school, went aircrew, and attended SERE training. Now that's some exciting stuff! CTRs can also fill billets for special forces, expeditionary warfare, and a host of other things that'll definitely be more suited for someone that doesn't like to sit still.

CTR, in my opinion, is one of the most badass rates in the Navy. And some of the greatest people, too. I made a ton of CTR friends at Corry. It's a good rate. And could be quite lucrative if he decides to get out and go work for a contractor. That TS/SCI is highly sought after, and SIGINT is a crucial role for national security.

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by Joribear

My son is currently at RTC and I just received my first personal letter from him. He has a contract for CTR and asked me to find out what he'd be doing as a CTR.

We both realize, of course, due to the classified nature of the CTR that the only way he'll EVER know what he'll be doing is when he's actually doing it. He's just worried that his job will just be sitting at a desk with a computer and headphones on all day.

He's always been an "active" kid - the saying "grass doesn't grow under his toes" definitely fits for him. He originally started his path to the Navy for the Nuke program, but found out at MEPS that he has a tritan color deficiency, so that knocked Nuke out and with a 94 ASVAB, he wasn't about to just do "anything" in the Navy!

Any CTR advise I can give this active young man?

Hey there! So first off, congrats to your son on joining not only the world's finest Navy, but one of the best communities within it! (I might be a little biased there haha)

So CTR's have a ton of versatility in their jobs. You could find yourself anywhere from a ship, shore duty at NSA, aircrew (although that's going away somewhat soon for the most part), special warfare, and even submarines. If the Navy is involved in it, there's a role for CTRs somewhere in it. Suffice to say that really whatever your son wants to get into, there's an opportunity for that.

**Some duties do require you to have completed your first tour however; special warfare being one of them.**

Job duties wise, CTRs are experts in COMINT (COMmunications INTelligence). Now that can take many different forms, so I won't get into the nitty gritty here. But suffice to say that he'll be doing some extremely important stuff in terms of national security work. He should be pretty excited; our community (CT's) are one of the few where you get to make such an important contribution right off the bat.

Let me know if you have specific questions. Or, if either of you want to ask me something directly or just chat I can get you some contact info.

/r
CTT1

[Joribear]

Originally Posted by CTT1(SW)Griffin

Hey there! So first off, congrats to your son on joining not only the world's finest Navy, but one of the best communities within it! (I might be a little biased there haha)

So CTR's have a ton of versatility in their jobs. You could find yourself anywhere from a ship, shore duty at NSA, aircrew (although that's going away somewhat soon for the most part), special warfare, and even submarines. If the Navy is involved in it, there's a role for CTRs somewhere in it. Suffice to say that really whatever your son wants to get into, there's an opportunity for that.

**Some duties do require you to have completed your first tour however; special warfare being one of them.**

Job duties wise, CTRs are experts in COMINT (COMmunications INTelligence). Now that can take many different forms, so I won't get into the nitty gritty here. But suffice to say that he'll be doing some extremely important stuff in terms of national security work. He should be pretty excited; our community (CT's) are one of the few where you get to make such an important contribution right off the bat.

Let me know if you have specific questions. Or, if either of you want to ask me something directly or just chat I can get you some contact info.

/r
CTT1

Thanks so much! I know he's planning on going to sub school after A school - if aircrew is going away sometime soon, would you recommend him going that route first and then sub school?

He's a bit of an adrenaline junkie (ok, not a bit, a LOT), so I completely expect him to do his first tour and then try to get in with special warfare. He is a "take the world by storm" kind of kid and always has been - we're lucky he didn't end up in trouble with the law growing up! LOL

To give you an idea as to how active he is, he graduated salutatorian with Varsity letters in basketball, track, band, choir, cheerleading (joined cheer because he thought it would be funny, ended up going to London with it...), scholastics, plus was involved in scouts, Civil Air Patrol and community theater. The two phone calls and three letters his brother and I have gotten from him while at RTC all carry the same theme: "I'm bored and ready to graduate A school and start bing a REAL sailor!" WTH gets bored at boot camp? Oh yeah, my kid!!
*Edited to add*
He's in division 919, doing drum line (quads), has been RPO (until he had his wisdom teeth out), AROC and "forward - something" (he said it had something to do with organization of supplies?), so he's picking up extra stuff to do while at boot & is still bored!

[Joribear]

Originally Posted by Barbazu

I'm not a CT, but I worked with them at Corry Station quite a bit. CTR are SIGINT (signals intelligence). They collect, analyze and crack various types of signals. As far as it being a desk job... ummmm... I haven't been with them in the fleet, but what I've seen of them in their actual training it's very computer intensive and tends to take place mostly while sitting. However, there are some awesome possibilities. I know one guy that graduated A school, went aircrew, and attended SERE training. Now that's some exciting stuff! CTRs can also fill billets for special forces, expeditionary warfare, and a host of other things that'll definitely be more suited for someone that doesn't like to sit still.

CTR, in my opinion, is one of the most badass rates in the Navy. And some of the greatest people, too. I made a ton of CTR friends at Corry. It's a good rate. And could be quite lucrative if he decides to get out and go work for a contractor. That TS/SCI is highly sought after, and SIGINT is a crucial role for national security.

Thank you for your input on the CTRs you've known!

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by Joribear

Thanks so much! I know he's planning on going to sub school after A school - if aircrew is going away sometime soon, would you recommend him going that route first and then sub school?

Getting a spot on subs will really just come down to if they have an opening/a need for it at the time he's picking orders. My best advice to him is to be vocal about what he's looking to do with his instructors during A-school. If the Fleet is out looking for a new sub guy, they might (no promises though) be able to help him out there! Always be your own best advocate.

Originally Posted by Joribear

He's a bit of an adrenaline junkie (ok, not a bit, a LOT), so I completely expect him to do his first tour and then try to get in with special warfare. He is a "take the world by storm" kind of kid and always has been - we're lucky he didn't end up in trouble with the law growing up! LOL

The specific program he needs to look at is TIO (Tactical Information Operations). The selection process is pretty intense, but it sounds like he enjoys a challenge. Feel free to reach out if he has specific questions; I've got several friends in that community.

Originally Posted by Joribear

To give you an idea as to how active he is, he graduated salutatorian with Varsity letters in basketball, track, band, choir, cheerleading (joined cheer because he thought it would be funny, ended up going to London with it...), scholastics, plus was involved in scouts, Civil Air Patrol and community theater. The two phone calls and three letters his brother and I have gotten from him while at RTC all carry the same theme: "I'm bored and ready to graduate A school and start bing a REAL sailor!" WTH gets bored at boot camp? Oh yeah, my kid!!
*Edited to add*
He's in division 919, doing drum line (quads), has been RPO (until he had his wisdom teeth out), AROC and "forward - something" (he said it had something to do with organization of supplies?), so he's picking up extra stuff to do while at boot & is still bored!

Sounds like he enjoys staying busy! Boot camp can be a little monotonous. It's really all about assimilating you into that Navy mindset, getting adjusted to our culture, and in general just becoming a Sailor. If he's anything like me then he's going to have that kind of "when does the REAL fun start?" mentality all the way to his first command. Once he hits the Fleet though I have no doubt that he'll be able to stay as busy as he wants to.

/r
CTT1

[nick12]

what kind of college credits are earned from going through CT training. and are CTs often selected for any of the enlisted to officer programs like sta-21?

[FlyNavy]

Originally Posted by nick12

what kind of college credits are earned from going through CT training. and are CTs often selected for any of the enlisted to officer programs like sta-21?

College credits depend specifically on what flavor of CT you end up being and what training you end up doing throughout your career. Also, different colleges will accept different things depending on the school and what program you're applying for. So it kind of varies by each person.

College programs, especially something like STA-21, take a look at the "whole person". Having completed something challenging like CT training and having real fleet experience are great things to have in your pocket, but the boards do look for more than just that. They're going to look first and foremost at what kind of OFFICER you'll make. Everything else like "I wanna be a pilot" or "I wanna be a SWO" or whatever, all of that comes secondary to what kind of actual officer you'll make. Followed by that they're gonna wanna see what kind of student you'll be. Are you responsible, do you have the academic chops, etc. Basically they wanna see that the Navy is going to get a return on it's investment in you.

/r
CTT1

[Polyglot]

What is the minimum ASVAB score to become a CTI? I've been taking pre-tests, but I don't know what is 'good enough'.

[jzhaun]

The AFQT score only determines whether or not you're eligible to enlist. Line scores determine whether you're eligible for a certain rate (CTI requires VE + MK + GS = 165). For CTI, you'll need to get at least 110 on the DLAB as well.

[Navymom2be]

Hey everyone!

My daughter has been in DEP since April of this year and took a CTN position. She let her recruiter know back then that she was hoping to leave soon after high school ended, but her original ship date is Nov 19 of this year. Her recruiter has recently said that because she is listed as a non-reclassification she is tougher to get an early ship date for, but she isn't really interested in losing her rate. Does anyone know how early ship dates work, particularly for the CT rates? I understand that the school only has so many spots at a time so someone else basically has to drop out for her to get in (and the recruiter said it will likely have to be a female as well). Just wondering what her chances are of going early.

[Marcheline]

Hi there and thank you for taking your time to answer questions! I am interested in a CTI rate and I have a couple technical questions. I passed the ASVAB with 82 and the individual scores qualify me for the job. However ,not having a US citizenship disqualifies me from any intel' jobs until I obtain my citizenship. I've been eligible for years but with three kids and only one income I could never pay the nearly $800 in application fees. I am a college graduate and I speak two more languages besides English. I have also experience in translation/interpretation for EU agencies.
I wonder If I can sign a contract for CTI that would be contingent upon becoming a US citizen which I would while in boot camp? I also wonder if the rate is currently undermanned and if this would help my case , considering my qualifications?
Thank you again for all your efforts!

[Barbazu]

This depends a lot on how your recruiting command functions. The command that I work in requires that TS/SCI clearances be fully adjudicated before shipping. If that's the case where you're enlisting out of, then it wouldn't be possible. As far as the actual Big Navy policy, I don't know. I only know how my command functions.
As for manning, right now CTI is not overmanned, but is nearing a balance. Given how the Navy likes to flood a rate I would expect it to say open for a while. It's difficult to find people for this rate because of the DLAB. In fact, we recently gave a girl a waiver for 3 points on her DLAB so she could qualify. Just that alone should tell you that we are in desperate need for CTIs.

[CTI_Francis]

Hello All!

My name is Francis and I ship out 20180522. I enlisted as a CTI after taking the DLAB and scoring a miraculous but still low 114. I just have a few questions that I’m hoping someone might have the answers to. My recruiter says that I’ll be going into bootcamp as an E-3. Is this true?? I know I get automatic E-4 after DLI and upon passing the DLPT, but I haven’t heard of anyone going in as an E-3. I can speak, read and write a decent amount of Japanese and am praying that maybe they will assign it to me. Is it a possibilty or will they give me one of the Big Six/Whatever the Navy needs? Do students get to fly home to spend Christmas with family? (Mine live in SoCal). Is it worth getting a car or should I take a bus/walk everywhere? Is there anyone else shipping out on this day as well? Thank you in advance!