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by Erin E. Thompson, USAICoE Staff Historian
MOS 97G DELETED FROM MI CAREER MANAGEMENT FIELD
On Aug. 12, 1997, the military occupation specialty (MOS) 97G (Multidiscipline Counterintelligence [MDCI] Analyst) was phased out on the recommendation of the Office of the Chief of Military Intelligence (OCMI). The deletion was one of several changes made during the Army’s 1996 Change in NCO Structure (CINCOS) initiative.
From 1985–1992, MOS 97G was designated Counter-Signals Intelligence (C-SIGINT). This changed in July 1993, when efforts to broaden the duties of the MOS to include analysis of all adversary intelligence collection capabilities led to its redesignation as MDCI. A new program of instruction (POI) was developed to meet the added requirements of the MOS, with revised classes scheduled for October 1993.
By 1996, the enlisted intelligence specialties were significantly overgraded, with too many noncommissioned officers (NCOs) than needed. The problem was addressed at the annual G-2/Commanders Conference at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, in April 1996. U.S. Army Intelligence Center (USAIC) Commander Maj. Gen. Charles Thomas noted “nearly every MI MOS [was] over the 47-percent NCO-ratio mandate,” and the MI Corps needed “to realign our MOSs.” General Thomas specifically addressed MOS 97G, which he described as “very small and badly overgraded,” with MDCI soldiers being “frequently misused and [not] being provided effective career development.”
In June 1996, the Army initiated a CINCOS to enhance career progression and support for the career management fields (CMFs) and MOSs. OCMI conducted an extensive review of the MI enlisted force structure and provided Army leadership with recommended changes in support of this action. As part of this initiative, USAIC, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Research Institute, developed a 97G MDCI and Force Protection Analysis Positional Survey. The survey was sent out to all 97G soldiers and personnel filling MDCI positions. The results would then be used to realign MOS 97G and the MDCI force structure.
The review found many 97G analysts were being assigned against missions that no longer existed. The specialty overlapped with other MOSs, leading to a decrease in available career advancements for 97Gs. As a result, OCMI recommended the deletion of the MOS and transfer of its functions to more focused disciplines across the CMF, allowing soldiers to be more easily assigned to appropriate positions and providing better career pathways. The deletion would also allow the MI proponent to devote more resources to critical missions, such as all-source analysis. Those soldiers previously trained as MDCI analysts would transition to new MOSs and receive an additional skill identifier to signify their prior training.
MOS 97G was deleted from the 96 CMF on Aug. 12, 1997, and was completely phased out following the graduation of the last class in October. All C-SIGINT positions transferred to MOS 98K (Signals Collection/Identification Analyst). MOS 96B (Intelligence Analyst) assumed the 97G positions in the all-source production sections at division and corps, while battlefield deception authorizations transferred to the Analysis and Control Elements. MOS 97B (CI Agent) assumed CI/Human Intelligence (HUMINT) and MDCI functions, and in 1998, the CI Basic NCO Course was extended from fifteen to eighteen weeks to accommodate the new POI.
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| Date Taken: | 08.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2025 15:56 |
| Story ID: | 545227 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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