I'm currently a sophomore in college studying cybersecurity and intelligence analysis but not happy in college. The university took away the language programs I was wanting (Arabic and Mandarin), moving my degree's online, and getting rid of the intelligence internships I am in due to internal issues at the school. Plus money is a huge factor and it no longer feels worth it.
I've been looking into the military since graduating high school in 2024. I recently passed all my testing (asvab and medical) and got a 110 on the DLAB with the Army. At meps they told me 35W isn't available and probably won't be for a while and from what I've gathered DLI is overcrowded at the moment. I told them to call me when it becomes available and I've been wondering if this is the same case for Navy. Any CTI's, 35P's, or 35M's that wanna share their insights I'd appreciate. I've also read that Navy linguist will actually use their language whereas Army linguist get screwed with poor assignments. Had a classmate who was a 35F for 20 years and said not to go 35M because they don't have peacetime capabilities and end up writing security clearances for others in a location that sucks.
Overall questions... Is it a bad idea to reach out to a Navy recruiter? If I do reach out to Navy and they access my testing records, will my Army recruiters know? Is it possible that Navy could get me a CTI slot before Army? Navy vs Army life at DLI and sigint school? Work life for both branches? I understand opsec so if you're vague I understand but hours, locations, and least favorite things about your job? I want to have all my options laid out on the table while making my decision. I just need a little advice, especially if others have shared my thought process.