Army MOS 98E

[Dima]

Is anyone familiar with MOS 97Echo, Interrogator/Interpreter? Has anyone been there, done that? Thanks.


[This message has been edited by Dima (edited 07-01-2000).]

[Swat1]

Yes,

As a 97B I have worked very closely with 97E's. 97B and 97E are sister MOS's. Of course there is a little healthy rivalry between the MOS's. In a tactical environment B's and E's are task organized together to form a Human Intelligence Collection Team or HCT, although this was an ever evolving concept. When I deployed to the Republic of Haiti for Operation Uphold/Restore Democracy I had three Interrogator's on my team.

Generally, as a 97E you will train to Interrogate Enemy Prisoner's of War (EPW's). You will find most 97E assignments are at Intelligence Battalions and Brigades supporting combat units at some level. So you should like going to the field.

[Dima]

Is it possible after AIT to get assigned to a Ranger Battalion? My recruiters have all told me that a 97E MOS can't get into the Ranger program, but I hope that I can?
Thanks for your help.

[Swat1]

Unfortunately, Rangers and Ranger units are my least area of expertise. You can be assigned to a Special Forces Group but I do not know about a Ranger Battalion.

[Dima]

Okay. Do 97B's go through Monterey just as 97Es? I guess my question is where does the friendly rivalry come from between the MOS's? How often do they interact? Thanks again.

[Swat1]

In general 97B's do not go through DLI, however, there are some 97B language required slots so some do. The B's and E's interact at the Military Intelligence Battalion level. In some MI Bn's 97B's and 97E's are lumped into the same platoon called a HUMINT platoon. In other's there are separate platoons a CI platoon for B's and an IPW platoon for E's, but they are right next door to each other and often train together. Like I said above in a field exercise or deployment B's and E's are task organized together to make HCT's or whatever they are calling them this week. Many 97B's are soldiers who could not gain language proficiency at DLI to become 97E's. There has been alot of talk for the past ten years about combining the two MOS's to make 97H. I personally think that would be a BIG mistake. Anyway, that's the deal.

[Dima]

Once a soldier finishes his AIT and gets assigned his first post, assuming that that's not a Ranger Battalion, what kind of duties are entailed?
And second, do either 97Bs or 97Es get to travel a lot?
Thanks again Swat1, I really have appreciated your comments.

[Swat1]

As a 97E your duties will be to interrogate enemy prisoners of war and while not deployed you will train for that mission. Other missions that 97E's conduct are basic interpreter missions. We used 97E's on many occasions to interpret during interviews for us. As far as travel is concerned, it all depends on where and how assigned. But generally you are in the military you will travel when needed.

[Dima]

Those 97Es that you worked with, where those mostly senior NCOs or younger guys? Thanks again Swat1.

[Swat1]

Both, an IPW platoon supporting an infantry division is made up of a Chief Warrant Officer 3 (351E), CW2 (351E), an SFC (platoon sergeant), 3 SSG's (Team Leaders), and several E-5's on down to Privates to make up the teams. So I have worked with 97E's at all ranks. While deployed to Haiti for OP Uphold/Restore Democracy I was the Team Leader of a task organized CI/IPW team with four CI agents and three Interrogator's I had two SGT's and one PFC, 97E's working for me.

[Dima]

Is it possible to go SF right out of Monterey as far as you know? Thanks.

[Whammer]

Hey SWAT,

When I was with CI, 97Bs needed language qual to get to E-6. Is that still so, or has it changed?

di

[Swat1]

When were you in CI? To the best of my knowledge language has never been mandatory for a 97B for anything except to fill certain language slots at certain assignments, but never for promotion.

[Whammer]

I was just in a Guard unit most from Jan99 through March00.

What I heard was that they recently removed the language identifier for E-5s but still have it for E-6.

Does that mean Lima indentifier necessary for E-7 or not at all? Guess I was confused.

di

[Dima]

Is what you guys are talking about only in MI, or SF?

[Swat1]

There was never a Lima identifier for 97B's for promotion for as long as I was in 1988 - 1997 nor had I heard of one. I was an E6 when I got out and I never had a language. You might be thinking of 97E's but that requires a language for the MOS period. I know several 97B E7's and above who do not have a language. There are also several 97B's who do have languages and there are some 97B slots that are considered language slots, however, in general 97B's are not and never have been as far as I know required to be language qualified.

Swat1*

[Whammer]

I stand corrected. A lot of our E-6 slots had the Lima identifiers, but I defer to your experience...

thanks
di

Dima, this all regarding language qualifications which is applicable both for MI (hence all the MOSs mentioned) and SF (language qual necessary).