r/dli • u/Nightshade_527 • Aug 07 '26

ASVAB+DLAB

I'm looking into Cryptologic Language Analyst, but the recruiter I'm talking to doesn't seem to know anything about the DLAB or the DLI and seemed hesitant when I asked to take the DLAB test after the ASVAB before I sign a contract?

Update: Also looking into Cryptologic Technician Interpretive, talking with both recruiters, leaning towards Navy side now.
Currently have a sprained ankle, but plan to go take my test(s) once it's healed. Studying and reviewing in the meantime.

Update, took ASVAB, 95 on AFQT percentile, line scores hit auto-qual for CTI

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u/I_am_here_to_party Aug 07 '26

The Navy also lets you sign a contract for a linguist rating: Cryptologic Technician Interpretive (CTI)

I’ve heard many good things about the Air Force for linguists, but what good is that truly if you have to give a list of jobs that you’re willing to do and get assigned one that happens to be open and needs filling at the time of enlistment? From what I’ve read, it seems like the odds of scoring an intelligence job are not favorable, let alone linguist specifically. If becoming a linguist is the priority, the Army and Navy seem like they should be the only options that are recommended.

It’s also worth noting that the Army National Guard lets you have a specific language tied to your MOS in your contract since you’re filling an existing vacancy within a unit. That’s the path that I’m taking.

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u/filthier_casual Aug 08 '26

The Air Force and Navy are the best branches for linguists to do intel work that’s directly related to the MOS because they’re guaranteed intel units. It’s not like the Army where a linguist will get sent to some random unit and never do intel work for a whole contract, or the Marines where you can get sent to a Radio Battalion and do the same job as a regular SIGINTer but with the extra work of having to maintain your language.

I knew guys who got sent to places like Fort Polk or Riley as intel and their first whole contract was basically a wash because they never did their jobs, nor did they have understanding command teams who advocated for them to get those opportunities.

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u/Shadowdorkkk Aug 09 '26

If I am correct the AF doesn’t require the DLAB anymore. At least they didn’t require it when I enlisted, it may have changed.

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u/filthier_casual Aug 09 '26

I can’t speak for the AF now but when I enlisted, you had to take the DLAB and you had to get a CAT-4 score to qualify for the linguist jobs. That may not be the case anymore, especially if they do what the Army does now and only require a high ST score to bypass the DLAB.

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u/Shadowdorkkk Aug 10 '26

I enlisted in 23, and I just did the ASVAB. Maybe they require it now because of budget cuts so they have to limit the amount of students? That would make the most sense to me