US Army is not Intelligence driven. - Intelligence Analyst US Army Employee Review

2.0
Jul 25, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The United States Army is a necessary evil in launching a career in the Intelligence realm, it will provide a very rudimentary skill set as an analyst and a top secret clearance. With the luck of a deployment you can become setup for more interesting analytical work in homeland security.

Cons

Intelligence professionals can expect to be treated like combat arms soldiers 24/7. This often prevents the analyst from being able to accomplish his/her job. This causes most intelligence analysts to become seriously dissatisfied with their work early on in their career and 90% of them do not reenlist or return to the army after making the rank of SGT (E5). Because of the large attrition rate the upper ranks of military intelligence is composed of reclassed combat arms soldiers (non-MI). These soldiers often lack the very basics of analytical work which should be learned during their time as lower enlisted. Which builds a work force of frustrated non commissioned officers who have no clue what they are doing and often times no interest in doing, perpetuating an environment of stress which is abrasive to the critical thinking necessary to successfully complete intelligence work. Intelligence officers are often so far removed from what is actually being created as intelligence products that they are often ineffectual as well. Ultimately, what you get is intelligence sweat shops where soldiers with little rank produce 95% of the work while under the scrutiny and time lines of senior leadership who have no real clue on what it takes to produce those products. In addition to an extremely malnourished work environment, senior leadership do not understand nor care what it takes to properly train and encourage career growth in their "underlings." I can't speak for other specialties but the MI world has become a perpetual cesspool which one unfortunately has to take a swim in before being able to move on to bigger and better worlds of opportunity in the Intelligence Community.

Explore other reviews about US Army

5.0
Jun 28, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good healthcare plan solid vaction benefits

Cons

Managers can be harsh for no reason

4.0
Jun 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pros: Working in the Army provides strong opportunities for leadership development, professional growth, and responsibility at an early stage. The organization builds discipline, accountability, resilience, and the ability to operate under pressure. It also offers stable pay, benefits, retirement opportunities, education benefits, healthcare, and access to advanced training. For individuals who want to lead teams, manage operations, solve complex problems, and serve a larger mission, the Army provides valuable experience that can transfer into civilian careers in operations, program management, training, logistics, compliance, security, and leadership.

Cons

Cons: The Army can be demanding because the mission often comes first, which can affect work-life balance, family time, and personal flexibility. Frequent changes in priorities, long hours, additional duties, administrative requirements, and high operational tempo can create stress and burnout. Career progression can also depend on timing, assignments, leadership, and organizational needs, not just individual performance. While the Army provides strong leadership experience, some military roles and accomplishments can be difficult to translate clearly to civilian employers without careful resume and profile wording.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All