Cryptologic Analyst & Reporter

What does a Cryptologic Analyst & Reporter do?

: Performs and manages cryptologic intelligence analysis activities and functions in all domains. Analyzes and exploits intelligence information, develops targets, and provides situational awareness for operations personnel and key leadership. Conducts research and develops assessments of adversarial actions and intentions. Drafts and disseminates long-term and time-sensitive intelligence reports to consumers worldwide. Related DoD Occupational Subgroups: 123200 and 124300.

Duties and responsibilities

• General Duties: Supports analytical aspects of various Air Force and Joint Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations by collating, analyzing, evaluating, and disseminating signals intelligence information. Analyzes, studies, researches, fuses, and correlates intelligence for strategic, operational, and tactical customers. Enables all-source intelligence, situation estimates, order- of-battle studies, and other intelligence reports and studies. Advises commanders on force protection and intelligence information for US and allied forces.
• Cryptologic Analysis and Reporting: Analyzes, assesses, and prioritizes information obtained from intelligence collection efforts and synthesizes information to provide serialized intelligence reports to authorized recipients. Identifies, correlates, and fuses technical, geographical, and operational intelligence information. Authors time-sensitive intelligence reports in accordance with established guidelines to support decisions makers. Identifies and disseminates real-time threat warning information in support of DoD objectives.
• Target Network Analysis: Conducts in-depth analysis of communications characteristics and target tactics, techniques, and procedures. Creates and maintains technical and operational databases using diverse computer hardware and software applications. Performs detailed analysis on target network communications for additional exploitation. Develops and employs techniques to collect, identify, and exploit target networks and operating characteristics.
• Air Operations & Integration: Provides detailed support to contingency and deliberate planning processes. Operates missionessential communications mediums to ensure threat warning capability. Utilizes all-source intelligence information to produce and present topical high-interest technical and operational intelligence briefings to all levels of command. Prepares target communication assessments, adversary order of battle studies, situation reports, and other intelligence reports as required. Produces, analyzes, studies, researches, fuses, and correlates intelligence for strategic, operational, and tactical customers. Provides target geopolitical and operational intelligence to national agencies and military command authorities. Provides analysis of Information Operations activities and reach-back cryptologic support to Air and Space Operations Centers and supported commanders. Executes near real-time intelligence support to sensitive reconnaissance missions. Provides multi-intelligence analysis of adversary tactics in support of Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment supporting Air Force training and tactics development.
• Cryptologic Training Activities: Instructs military personnel on cryptologic collection, analysis, reporting requirements and procedures. Collates intelligence and operations materials to impart proper tradecraft supporting air, space, and cyberspace signals intelligence analysis. Drives development of tradecraft to broadly enable DoD missions. Integrates information assurance, cyber, cryptologic authorities, and data to evolve development of tradecraft and generate measurable mission outcomes.
• Processes, exploits, and disseminates intelligence products and conducts analysis concerning threat countries or targets of interest via written and/or verbal means. These products provide specificity and knowledge to commanders and national leaders to impact tactical through strategic level decision making processes.

Specialty qualifications

Knowledge. Must gain and maintain knowledge of global communications procedures; analytical techniques; organization of the national intelligence structure; intelligence organizations and systems; Information Operations; organization of designated military forces; geography; collection and reporting, systems, principles, methods, and procedures; effective writing principles; oral and written intelligence information presentation; and directives for handling, disseminating, and safeguarding classified information.

Education. For entry into this specialty, award of high school diploma or General Education Development equivalency required. Courses in composition, speech, English, geography, world history, statistics, algebra, geometry, critical thinking, and computer applications is desirable.

Training. The following training is mandatory for award of the AFSC indicated:

• 1N432. For award, completion of the Cryptologic Analyst and Reporter Apprentice courses.
• For US Space Force, completion of the Cryptologic Analyst and Reporter Apprentice courses and Space Warfighter Intelligence Formal Training Unit is mandatory until replaced by new courses as determined by US Space Force.

Experience. The following experience is mandatory for award and retention of the AFSC indicated:

• 1N452. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 1N432 and experience performing cryptologic activities.
• 1N472. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 1N452 and experience performing or supervising cryptologic activities.

Other. The following are mandatory as indicated:

• For entry into this specialty:
• No speech disorders or noticeable communications deficiencies as defined by AFI 48-123, Medical Examinations and Standards.
• See attachment 4 for additional entry requirements.
• For award and retention of AFSC 1N4X2, the following are mandatory:
• When required for a current or future assignment, Airmen must successfully complete a Counterintelligence (CI) polygraph or meet all customer access eligibility requirements. After 12 months from the date of requirement, Airmen who fail to successfully complete a polygraph or do not meet mission, system, and/or facility access eligibility requirements should be considered for retraining or separation.
• Maintain local network access IAW AFI 17-130, Cybersecurity Program Management and AFMAN 17-1301, Computer Security.
• Specialty requires routine access to Tier 5 (T5) information, systems, or similar classified environment.
• Completion and favorable adjudication of a current T5 Investigation IAW DoDM 5200.02, AFMAN 16-1405, Air Force Personnel Security Program, is mandatory. NOTE: Initial attendance in 1N4X2 AFSC awarding course without a completed T5 clearance is authorized provided an interim T5 clearance eligibility has been granted IAW Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 704. Airmen who cannot obtain at least an Interim T5 clearance for programmed class-start are not eligible for entry into the AFSC.

Civilian career paths

Comparable civilian careers for this field pay roughly $71,890–$164,070 per year (median salaries; varies by role and location):

• Cartographers and Photogrammetrists: $71,890
• Computer and Information Systems Managers: $164,070
• Computer Systems Analysts: $102,240
• Database Administrators: $99,890
• Detectives and Criminal Investigators: $86,280
• Geographers: $88,900
• Information Security Analysts: $112,000
• Intelligence Analysts: $86,280
• Management Analysts: $95,290
• Network and Computer Systems Administrators: $90,520