All-Source Intelligence Analyst
Official Job Title: All-Source Intelligence Analyst (35F)
Name of Organization: Headquarters/Headquarters Troop (H/HT), 2-104th Cavalry Squadron, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), 28th Infantry Division
Job Date: 21 March 2013 – present. Position ends 21 March 2019
The Squadron for which I work is tasked with conducting the reconnaissance and information collection for its parent echelon of the 56th SBCT. Within this Squadron, I work at the Headquarters Troop – the element where all of the plans and analyses are performed, boiled down into actionable information, and then disseminated to subordinate units and higher headquarters with a need-to-know. In Headquarters, I work with what is known as the “S2” – the Intelligence Section. This section is composed of roughly ten individuals at any given moment; H/HT is composed of roughly 100-150 personnel; the Squadron nears a thousand personnel.
As an Intelligence Analyst, my job is extremely process-oriented. Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB) and the Military Decision-Making Process (MDMP) are ongoing, never-ending, scientific, cyclical processes that are crucial to the success of the S2 and, ipso facto, the Squadron and Brigade staff. They include constant collaboration across departments, understanding the needs of officers in various positions, evaluating (and re evaluating) potential solutions and plans, and adapting to constantly changing environments. The All-Source analyst, aside from these responsibilities, is also tasked with the receipt of information from all other Intelligence disciplines; the analyst will receive, evaluate, prioritize, and assess these reports in an attempt to “paint a picture” for the commander regarding enemy forces and civilian considerations within a given operational environment. The primary “weapon system” of the Analyst in all of this is a suite of digital tools (the name of which I was told I should withhold) used to access and sync multiple databases of information so as to ensure the most complete and effective end products. Deliverables (often presentations) are built around these conclusions and are communicated to the relevant staff members. The end-goal for the analyst is to clearly and effectively provide succinct guidance on courses of action that should, or should not, be taken.
During my time with H/HT, I have been involved in multiple projects. Most recently, I was involved in a Leader’s Training Program (LTP) that spanned roughly two weeks. Prior to that, I spent a number of weeks during Annual Trainings with a subordinate unit’s headquarters element as a liaison from the S2 and enrolled in schools relevant to my position. During the LTP, I actively participated in Mission Analysis with Squadron staff. The project included assisting the network administrators from the S6 (the communications/IT support section) in setting up their domains and making sure the intranet between the units involved in the exercise was operational. Additionally, I was assisting the Knowledge Manager with organizing and updating shared resources across the Squadron. As the primary analyst for the program, I evaluated many reports regarding the operational environment such as enemy capabilities, terrain and weather effects, civilian considerations, and ensured accuracy in reporting/cataloguing changes to the environment. These evaluations were then translated into products that deal with map data and trend analysis, all of which were shared across job functions and unit echelons.
During the 2016 and 2017 Annual Trainings, I was tasked out as a liaison to Charlie Troop: a subordinate unit to the 2-104th Cavalry Squadron. Here, I advised their headquarters element on the importance of Priority Intelligence Requirements (PIRs), the function they serve, and their individual roles in answering the composite questions of those PIRs. I taught multiple classes to the staff (comprised of both enlisted and commissioned soldiers) and participated in their training exercises to ensure that the flow of information through the entire Squadron was being done accurately and efficiently. During the weeks spent with C-Troop, I was regarded as a subject matter expert and a resource for the staff when further guidance was required.
During 2015 Annual Training, I participated in a two week course revolving around the digital suite of tools used by every All-Source Analyst in the Army. The course focused on the implementation of all of its features: creating link-diagrams of various entities and their relationships to one another; collecting information on significant events/people from multiple databases, and then plotting this information to real-time digital maps; and diagnosing certain issues with the program’s servers and channels of communication. All of which culminated into a PowerPoint presentation meant to convey all findings up to that point of analysis.
Through my years as an Analyst, I have learned a great deal as it relates to the Management Information Systems (MIS) curriculum at Temple University. By the job’s very nature, the emphasis on process design, process improvement, and flow/organization of information is hugely related to the course of MIS2101 and, in regards to processes, MIS3506. Using our digital toolset and accessing databases appropriately for both structured and unstructured data is very reminiscent of the skills learned in MIS2502; making those findings understandable and visual falls right in line with the teachings of MIS0855. Although not officially part of my job, my assistance with the S6 in their functions runs almost parallel to the content found in MIS2501 of building networks, setting up domain controllers, and making sure that machines and users in the networks have the appropriate permissions and access according to their individual positions within the organization; my involvement with the S6 will be continuous moving forward. Above all though, almost holistically, the job of a 35F is closely related to the role of a Business Analyst, as is taught extensively in MIS3506. Participating in this curriculum has been incredibly rewarding and educational; working in this field has taken me a step further in refining my analytical skills and gathering a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of analysis and Information Systems.