Hrc Officer Assignment Process

Contrary to popular belief, HRC isn’t the only key player in the officer assignment process. It’s true – as we’ve explored in the last two INTREPs – that HRC’s Officer Personnel Management Directorate (OPMD) plays the largest role in officer assignments. It is OPMD’s Assignment Branches after all, of which MI Branch is one, that place all officers, 2LT to LTC, on Assignment Instructions. Once you receive your RFO then, it feels safe to assume you know where you’ll be assigned next. You’re good to go, right? The answer is “well, maybe”.

Once you receive your RFO, there is one more key player in the assignment process: your gaining unit’s Senior Mission Commander (SMC). The SMC is most often the senior commander on an installation. Granted
A best practice is to cold call a peer in the section (for example, the BCT AS/2) to get a sense of the unit’s requirements, OPTEMPO and mission. How does officer management occur in that unit? Do they have a projection of where you may be going?
Your peer may also provide insight on the best way to introduce yourself to the unit’s Senior Intelligence Officer. The SIO is the unit’s highest ranking intelligence officer, and you’ll likely have several in echelon at your assignment location. In this example, the SIO is the BCT S2. Would a phone call be best? A formal Letter of Introduction?

These simple actions can set you up for success by providing you early insight on your next assignment while communicating that you’re a proactive officer looking forward to joining the team.

Once you’re on an installation:
Develop an understanding of how officer management occurs in your unit and across the installation. In many cases, Division G2s have strong input in managing an installation’s MI CPT population. They may communicate about command or other KD opportunities; they may also facilitate inter-post transfers (IPT) for moves across organizational boundaries on the