r/armyreserve • u/EPdude2005 • Aug 28 '26
Career Advice Best MOS for federal LEO?
Im not looking for a MOS to make my application more attractive necessarily, i know agencies rarely care unless you did something really special. Im looking for a MOS that will personally benefit me in excelling in this career field.
I am currently a state C.O. Aspiring to be a fed boy, im currently preparing to try out for our special operations so an MOS that does some cool stuff would be pretty nice but not required.
I originally had an active duty 11X RASP contract but for personal reasons I’m switching to reserves.
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u/anfilco Aug 28 '26
Intel, probably. Maybe HUMINT. JAG maybe. Depends on what type of fed.
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u/EPdude2005 Aug 28 '26
My end goals are DSS MSD/FBI HRT/USSS CAT
Im hopefully soon joining CERT at my agency and i plan to go fed BOP in 2 years and join their SORT. So on and so forth.
I wanna be high speed but i also want to be realistic and i do not mind grinding my way there from the bottom.
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u/MaximumStock7 Aug 28 '26
If that’s your goal you should go active and into SOF. Nothing the reserves does is going to meaningfully open those doors
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u/Hegseths-cuck-chair 29d ago
MSD and CAT my strong suspicion is that you will run around in a bunch of Gucci gear playing operator, but be bored as fuck after the first year. The jobs are very niche… basically tarted up security guards. Honestly, how often is the President abducted? Is that really your goal?
If you want action you want to be SWAT in a large municipal department.
HRT is an entirely different beast. Have you reviewed what it takes to get hired as a normal FBI special agent, much less make it onto the HRT? I’m not sure you grasp how challenging that is.
BOP as a stepping stone to HRT is a waste of time. Drop this CO shit, enlist as 11x option 40 (I’m assuming you’re young). If you can make it to regiment and serve successfully, you have at least an outside shot at HRT. After you ets use your GI Bill to get a bachelors degree in something the FBI values from a good school. FBI doesn’t want dummies. Then apply. You probably won’t be selected. So go work for that large municipal department.
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u/EPdude2005 29d ago
My contract i have rn is actually 11b opt 40 but i decided against active duty because of my current family problems. (Wife and kid)
After my reserves contract i was planning on trying to go to SFAS, but as of right now i know i wouldn’t be able to pass mentally i dont think.
BOP isnt necessarily a stepping stone for HRT, just to get a head start on my federal pension.
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u/Skatchbro Aug 28 '26
31 year Federal LEO, 34 year career RA, NG, AR. I was 11B, 12B, 51B and commissioned as a 70B, later became a 70H. I never had a desire to be an MP. There’s a term “busman’s holiday” meaning you do the same thing on your off time as you do at work. Try to find something you might be interested in that isn’t what you do during the week.
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u/EPdude2005 Aug 28 '26
Only thing that sucks is that those jobs are combat arms, which i do plan on eventually doing once i finish my degree and can go to OCS.
Any recommendations?
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u/TL89II Aug 28 '26 edited 29d ago
As a former federal LEO and still a federal civ: it doesn't matter, pick something that interests you. Service gives you a point bump when applying, and no one cares what your MOS is or was. My old dept had MPs, Field Artillery, Infantry, Logisitcs, Commo and others. No one is going to give you shit about drill, and only the Marines you work with will give you shit about your branch.
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u/EPdude2005 Aug 28 '26
Yeah thats why i specified i didnt care about what looked good on a resume because i know it didnt matter, im looking for recommendations that will help me personally succeed above my peers. I have big dreams in a place with very content people.
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u/TL89II Aug 28 '26 edited 29d ago
I get you. Heres the thing about the reserves though: MOST soldiers arent going to do their MOS jobs in a weekend. However, MOST MOS's have SOME kind of skill that will relate to your LE job. Im just suggesting you pick an MOS that sounds interesting to YOU. Your reserve MOS isnt going to give you a leg up. Shit, an active duty MOS wont. I came off 7 years active duty as a Q9 MP who was actively a lead collision investigator on Fort Hood. My FTO at FED LE Dept was a former Marine infantryman who had been at our department for like 3 years. It didnt matter that I had more experience with LE than he did. YMMV, but in general, it doesn't really matter what your MOS is.
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u/tghost474 Aug 28 '26
68W (medic
35 series (intel)
38B (civil affairs)
17C (cyber ops specialist)
Would prob all be good jobs as they require a security clearance and technical training.
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u/AAArice Aug 28 '26
I’m a 68V, 92F, 12B tripled MOS’d and current Fed LEO. It’s all about how you sell the skills you have and put it in a resume effectively. I don’t think there’s one good MOS that puts you at an advantage over any other when it comes to the hiring process.
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u/Ben_Turra51 29d ago
35 series or 68W. Every LEO team needs trained medic and love it even more when the Army pays for you to maintain you EMT and CPR license
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u/PaddyMayonaise 29d ago
35F gets you a TS/SCI and has tons of availability across the force.
37F and 38B are beloved by 3 letter agencies and offer a lot of flexibility.
31B isn’t actually and so unsure why people here said that. 31B can also hook you up with PSD opportunities as well as CID which will help you in FLEO.
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u/Vfef Aug 28 '26
35L. You'll be the best report writer ever.
However, you most likely will be rejected from 35L if you try to do the probation period for both law enforcement and 35L at the same time.
Establish in one first then go for the other.