Conduct counterintelligence investigations and operations to detect, identify, and neutralize threats to Army personnel and operations. Perform security assessments and threat briefings.
ASVAB ST: 101, GT: 107
Catalog listing, not a contract offer. Confirm with a recruiter.
Counterintelligence Agents defend Army units and Army information against espionage, sabotage and the insider threat. The work includes investigations, screening and interviewing people, writing detailed reports and advising commanders on how their operation could be observed or penetrated. In garrison there is a steady rhythm of casework, liaison with other agencies and security briefings for units preparing to deploy. Forward, you spend more time meeting people, assessing sources of risk and supporting force protection. The job requires a clearance with a thorough background investigation, so your own history is examined closely before you ever open a case.
You learn investigative method, from planning an interview to listening for inconsistency to documenting findings so they survive scrutiny. Report writing is trained to a legal standard, because your product may support an adjudication or a prosecution. You develop a practical understanding of how information leaks, how people are recruited and how to advise a unit to close those gaps. Liaison work builds the ability to establish trust quickly with strangers who have no particular reason to help you. Handling classified case material teaches rigorous records and information discipline.
The job makes you observant in a way that does not switch off, noticing detail and inconsistency without being obvious about it. You build discretion, because people tell you things that must not travel any further. It teaches emotional control during interviews, where visibly reacting to what you hear costs you the information. You also develop patience with process, since good cases are slow and shortcuts destroy them. Agents tend to become people who judge carefully and hold conclusions until the evidence is actually in.
This experience maps to federal investigative and security positions, and the clearance you carry shortens hiring timelines dramatically. Agencies running background investigations, insider threat programs and counterintelligence functions hire directly from this field. Large companies operate their own insider threat, investigations and corporate security teams and recruit people with exactly this training. Private investigation, fraud examination and compliance work use the same interviewing and documentation skills. If you pivot entirely, the GI Bill plus an investigative resume supports law school or a criminal justice degree.
Your morning opens by reviewing case files and coordinating with security and intelligence partners on active investigations. You spend your day conducting counterintelligence interviews, security assessments, and threat briefings to detect and neutralize espionage and insider threats. Whether investigating a security incident or vetting personnel, you work to protect Army people, plans, and secrets from hostile collection.
Related career-field video—not specific to Army 35L.
No suitable exact-MOS video was verified in the recorded search. This does not establish that none exists.
Related field: military intelligence — human intelligence perspective. Source occupation: Army 35M.
U.S. Army Sergeant John Gilliam, a Human Intelligence Collector with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Liberty, NC, discusses his duties as a Human Intelligence Collector. The U.S. Army gives soldiers the ability to learn skills that can carry over to the private sector. (U.S. Army video by Sgt. Michael Bradle)
Official publisher description and direct video page checked; playback not independently watched. Checked 2026-10-25. This assignment may not reflect every posting in this career.
$43,902–$74,948
2026 basic pay only; the same grade and service time pay the same across jobs. Promotions are assumed, not promised. Excludes allowances, bonuses and special pays.
Possibilities for serving Soldiers, including those in support roles—not guaranteed admission or awards. Individual eligibility, assignment, selection, available training or competition places and successful qualification apply.
Earned by successfully completing Ranger School's demanding leadership and field training.
Not restricted to combat MOSs. Requires selection, a school slot and current course prerequisites. The tab does not mean assignment to the 75th Ranger Regiment.
Recognizes successful airborne qualification, including the required training jumps.
Support specialties can attend too; the Army explicitly gives human resources and wheeled-vehicle mechanics as examples. Requires a school slot and medical, physical and course qualification.
Earned through Air Assault School, covering helicopter operations, sling loads and rappelling.
Available across job specialties, not just combat roles, subject to unit nomination, available seats and current school requirements.
A waiver-dependent opportunity outside engineering; earned by successfully completing the Sapper Leader Course.
Conditional opportunity: Soldiers outside engineering must submit a waiver to attend. Approval is not guaranteed; all other course requirements still apply.
Recognizes tested Soldier proficiency in specialties outside the infantry, Special Forces and medical expert-badge tracks.
A skills-based distinction for support and other eligible MOSs. Current proponent requirements and successful testing apply; holding this MOS does not award the badge.
Sources reviewed . Confirm current course and badge requirements with official school guidance and your unit.
For Army 35L Counterintelligence Agent, official service-wide guidance and any exact feeder-list matches are distinguished below from unverified specialty-specific requirements. Ranks are not separate jobs, and these possibilities are not guaranteed promotions or available contracts.
Examples of higher service ranks
These are service-wide rank names, not a verified promotion ladder for this specialty. Examples are not exhaustive; appointments sharing a pay grade are not additional promotion steps.
Official military rank referenceThe Army distinguishes enlisted, warrant officer, and commissioned officer ranks. These are separate career tracks; a warrant appointment is not the next enlisted promotion. The Army rank chart does not establish a maximum rank for this specialty.
Army rank structureThe official Army feeder list explicitly names this MOS for the options below. Only the feeder-list match is confirmed—not all prerequisites, current component availability, or individual eligibility.
Published feeder conditions: 35L
Specialty-specific advancement, senior assignments, and eligibility for a different personnel category have not been verified for this listing. No feeder eligibility or automatic transition to another specialty is implied.
Advancement depends on current service rules, performance, required education, qualifications, selection, and authorized positions—not simply years served. Confirm current requirements with an official recruiter or career counselor.
Related military jobs below are for exploration, not promised progression or confirmed transfer paths.
Sources reviewed 2026-10-03. This is a partial evidence review, not verification of every advancement route for this specialty. Source retrieval dates do not replace policy effective dates.
Career-field mappings, not automatic qualifications. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024 national medians). O*NET links explain each occupation; military experience does not guarantee a job or salary.
Conduct counterintelligence investigations and operations to detect, identify, and neutralize threats to Army personnel and operations. Perform security assessments and threat briefings.
Counterintelligence Agents defend Army units and Army information against espionage, sabotage and the insider threat. The work includes investigations, screening and interviewing people, writing detailed reports and advising commanders on how their operation could be observed or penetrated. In garrison there is a steady rhythm of casework, liaison with other agencies and security briefings for units preparing to deploy. Forward, you spend more time meeting people, assessing sources of risk and supporting force protection. The job requires a clearance with a thorough background investigation, so your own history is examined closely before you ever open a case.
You learn investigative method, from planning an interview to listening for inconsistency to documenting findings so they survive scrutiny. Report writing is trained to a legal standard, because your product may support an adjudication or a prosecution. You develop a practical understanding of how information leaks, how people are recruited and how to advise a unit to close those gaps. Liaison work builds the ability to establish trust quickly with strangers who have no particular reason to help you. Handling classified case material teaches rigorous records and information discipline.
This experience maps to federal investigative and security positions, and the clearance you carry shortens hiring timelines dramatically. Agencies running background investigations, insider threat programs and counterintelligence functions hire directly from this field. Large companies operate their own insider threat, investigations and corporate security teams and recruit people with exactly this training. Private investigation, fraud examination and compliance work use the same interviewing and documentation skills. If you pivot entirely, the GI Bill plus an investigative resume supports law school or a criminal justice degree.
ASVAB ST: 101, GT: 107. This is the catalog's listed requirement, not an individual eligibility decision. Confirm the current standard and any exceptions with the service.
This specialty can be pursued through an initial enlistment, subject to eligibility and available contracts. Confirm the current status of this specific classification with an official recruiter.
Catalog sources consulted: 2026-09-26. This is not an entry-by-entry verification date. No record-specific verification date is recorded. Occupation audit evidence reviewed: 2026-09-26; this does not re-verify every requirement.
Confirmed in DA PAM 611-21 Smartbook, November 2025, historical end-of-FY2025 snapshot (https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2025/12/04/7573670f/chapter-10-enlisted-base-chapter.pdf). The Army maintains a newer restricted version; it was not sought or accessed. Checked 2026-09-27. Confirmation means documented appearance, not present-day accession availability. Observed specification timing: Effective 202410. Retained appearances include historical and future-effective specifications, not necessarily current availability.
Official branch occupation evidence
Occupation identified. This occupation was identified in the cited source. This does not verify requirements, benefits, or a current opening.
Army G-1 DA Pam 611-21, chapter 10C: enlisted MOS specifications (historical public consolidation, December 2025) · reviewed 2026-09-26
Confirmed. Catalog evidence is not an inventory of open contracts.
No dated public inventory confirmed a currently open recruiting contract for this role. This does not mean there are no openings. Confirm current eligibility and offers with an official recruiter.
Advertised — Army, as of 2026-09-28Deployment likelihood: Moderate*
* Estimated. Rank progression and specialty-pay eligibility are illustrative assumptions. Deployment likelihood, when shown, is inferred from similar specialties in the branch and career field, not a published specialty deployment rate.
Descriptions may change. No military role is free from risk of injury or death, including non-combat work. Catalog review dates do not establish current openings or re-verification of every requirement.
Recruiting signals reflect what each branch published on the dates shown. They are not offers, and they do not mean a contract is open for you. Eligibility depends on your ASVAB scores, medical qualification, security clearance eligibility, and ship date. Confirm everything with an official recruiter. See our Disclaimer and Terms.