MOS 0211: Counterintelligence/HUMINT Specialist

The Marine Corps Intelligence Community is a unique group of Marines who work closely with other intelligence assets in the field. As a Human Intelligence Specialist, you can also be tasked to engage in counterintelligence to identify and de-escalate the threat of hostile combatants and intelligence organizations. The Marines who join this military occupational specialty (MOS) can do so from any other MOS with a lateral move. There is a relaxed uniform appearance allowing for beards and "less than military grooming standards." Counter Intelligence (CI) and Human Intelligence Specialists (HUMINT) go undercover to find information that is helpful to their fellow Marines as well as can save the lives of Americans overseas and at home.

CI/HUMINT specialists are involved in all facets of planning and conducting CI and human intelligence operations and activities.

Definitions of Counter Intelligence and Human Intelligence

Counter Intelligence includes organized activity of an intelligence service designed to block an enemy's sources of information, to deceive the enemy, to prevent sabotage, and to gather political and military information. Counter Intelligence officers scan for people or enemy agencies engaged in espionage, sabotage, subversion, or terrorism.

Human Intelligence is defined as any information that can be gathered from human sources. The National Clandestine Service is the branch of the CIA responsible for the collection of HUMINT. HUMINT activities are designed to obtain intelligence information using human beings as both sources and collectors.

CI/HUMINT specialists must learn to be adept in both CI / HUMINT and must grow to have a working knowledge of the organizations, operations, and techniques employed by foreign intelligence services and terrorist organizations. HUMINT is gathered by interrogation, debriefing, and screening. Many 0211s will specialize in a foreign language or use interpreters in deployed to areas that do not speak the language of the Marines. With this skill set of language, they may, in turn, exploit foreign language documents and recordings. MOS 0211's when deployed must become familiar with the area, the customs and traditions of its people, and the infrastructure of a foreign force. CI/HUMINT specialists share and obtain the information by special automated databases, interview/interrogation techniques, liaison, specialized CI techniques, technical support measures, investigative photography, and reporting-writing techniques, to name a few methods. The information the 0211 obtains is vital to the planning and mission of air, ground, and special operations troops military-wide.

Job Requirements

To lateral transfer from your current MOS into the MOS0211, you must be a U.S.citizen, 21 years of age, a volunteer, and be the rank of corporal or sergeant. Staff sergeants may apply for a lateral move; however, must have less than one-year time in grade and a waiver. 

Marines must pass an interview to become recommended to join the MOS 0211 by a screening board of CI/HUMINT personnel as well as a polygraph test.

ASVAB scores must also be high. Applicants must possess a GT score of 110 or higher.

Must take the Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) test and be willing to undergo language training. Marines who can meet the minimum standard Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) score ( 2/2 or better) for a language may be excluded from the DLAB requirement. A foreign language capability is not required for active duty 0211 MOS. Reserve Marines with a foreign language capability verified by DLPT scores, desiring a lateral move into the 0211 MOS should have completed language training prior to affecting the lateral move.

Prior to entry into Defense Language Institute (DLI), Marines must have sufficient obligated service to allow 24 months remaining upon graduation.

You must pass a Special Background Investigation and be eligible for a top-secret security clearance and access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) predicated upon a Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) Application for the SSBI must be submitted prior to attendance of the MAGTF Counterintelligence/HUMINT Course at NMITC, Dam Neck, VA.

Marine must complete the Nelson-Denney examination or Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) examination at a base education center or similarly accredited education establishment and achieve a minimum score of 10.

Prior to entry into the MOS 0211 Training Course, The Marine must have sufficient obligated service to allow 36 months remaining upon graduation. Then the Marine must complete the MAGTF CI/HUMINT Course, Navy Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center (NMITC), in Dam Neck, VA.