Army 35P MOS Overview: Cryptologic Linguist

It is extremely important that the United States Army have personnel who are able to translate the languages of both our allies and our enemies.

Men and women who hold the 35P MOS have that ability. They know a language and are able to translate communications to further the Army’s ability and intelligence in making strategic decisions.

In today’s post, we are going to give you a complete overview of the Army 35P: Cryptologic Linguist.

Army 35P Basic Job Description

The basic job of the 35P is to intercept foreign transmissions using signal equipment, translate that transmission and make sure the appropriate personnel receive that translated information.

All of this must be timely and accurate as it can very well save many lives.

Army 35P Responsibilities And Duties

The responsibilities of the 35P are extensive. Just some of the duties and responsibilities are:

Identify foreign communications.
Analyze those communications in support of missions.
Recognizes changes in transmission modes and tips the appropriate analytical or intercept authority.
Leads independent team level foreign communications processing operations

Since the 35P is well versed in the language of that certain geographical area, he/she could also be asked to translate in other conditions too.

Requirements To Become an Army 35P

The Cryptologic Linguist has some of the most difficult requirements to attain this MOS in the United States Army.

From what I read, you must take what is called a DLAB test to see if you have the ability to learn and understand the language you are needed in.

Other requirements include:

Very heavy physical demands
A PULHES of 222121
Normal color vision
A score of 91 on the Skilled Technical (ST) portion of the ASVAB
Must meet TOP SECRET Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access eligibility requirements.
Required to take a counterintelligence scope polygraph (CSP) prior to being given the 35P MOS.
Must be a high school graduate or equivalent.
Must meet hearing acuity test standards.
A qualifying score of 100 on the Audio Perception Test (APT).
Must demonstrate clear comprehension of English and good Standard English grammar skills. Applicants who are not native-born citizens or who have not attended U.S. schools since the age of 6 must obtain a minimum score of 80 in reading and listening on the English Comprehension Level Test (ECLT) or American Course Language Placement Test (ACLPT).
Can never have been a member of the United States Peace Corps.
No record of conviction by court-martial or a civil court other than minor traffic offenses.
Must be a United States citizen.
And with all that, the soldier or spouse cannot have family members in, or vested interest in whose boundaries physical or mental coercion is known to be a common practice against persons acting in the interests of the U.S.

So, as you can see, the requirements are stringent.

Training For The Army 35P

Naturally, a soldier will have to successfully complete Basic Combat Training.

If the soldier does not know the language needed for the position, he/she will first have to attend the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California for 6 to 18 months. They will then attend Advanced Individual Training at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas for 6 to 52 weeks where they will learn the particulars for this position.

Final Thoughts

Knowing another language can be a huge plus even after Army service.

There is a good chance you will be deployed to a zone where the language you have learned is used frequently.

I do think this is a great Army job if you can meet all the requirements.

We would love to hear from any 35P’s. Please tell us more about this MOS.

You can leave all comments and questions below.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com

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