Air Force Job 1N0X1 - Operations Intelligence

Airmen in the operations intelligence field have a host of important responsibilities. It's up to them to oversee intelligence gathering initiatives and to manage, develop, and evaluate the intelligence information that's collected.

This work is crucial for the Air Force to evaluate enemy positions and capabilities, and determine troop deployments and mission parameters. 

This job is categorized as Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) 1N0X1. 

Duties of Operations Intelligence in the Air Force

In addition to managing intelligence functions, airmen in the field of operations intelligence conduct intelligence training and instruct aircrews on collecting and reporting requirements and procedures.

These procedures cover everything from evasion and recovery to code of conduct and recognition techniques. They'll prepare mission reports and conduct debriefing sessions of U.S. military and allied forces involved in combat operations. 

The airman in the operations intelligence roll will be responsible for supporting "all aspects of Air Force operations by discovering, collating, analyzing, evaluating and disseminating intelligence information," according to the official Air Force description of the specialty code. The airman also produces "all-source intelligence, situation estimates, adversarial nation, terrorist, insurgent threat studies, and other intelligence reports and studies."

Intelligence Applications in the Air Force

The intelligence information these airmen gather, which may be displayed as charts, maps or reports, is used to develop and plan missions, using geospatial databases and other information-gathering techniques.

In many cases, this means interpreting raw data and understanding its significance, sometimes in combat situations.

A big part of this role is understanding and analyzing how significant an adversary's threat systems might be, as is assessing the U.S. military's capabilities and potential vulnerabilities.

Training

First, an airman will take the requisite 7.5 weeks of basic training, and Airmen's Week. Next will be 110 days of technical school training at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. Completion of a basic operations intelligence course is mandatory.

Airmen who become part of Air Force intelligence will be instructed in how to collect and evaluate information, become familiar with other countries' geography and culture, and learn potential enemies' military capabilities and defensive weapons systems.

The Air Force has procedures for updating maps based on intelligence information, airmen learn thoroughly. They will also become acquainted with methods of verifying intelligence based on imagery and radar. 

Qualifications

Airmen need a high school diploma or its equivalent to be eligible for this job. Ideally, the high school transcript will be well-rounded and include courses in speech, journalism, geography, modern world history, statistics, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.

Also, the candidate will need a score of at least 57 in the general (G) qualification area of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) tests. 

Airmen in this job have to qualify for a top-secret security clearance from the Department of Defense, which involves a background check of finances and character. Drug and alcohol offenses may be disqualifying. They must be a U.S. citizen to serve in this role. 

Recruits seeking a job in Air Force intelligence will take a polygraph test, and must be free of any speech disorders or other communications deficiencies. Normal color vision, meaning no colorblindness, is also required.