Navy 1720 (Foreign Area Officer (FAO) Candidate). 2,080 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $75K–$130K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Industry tech roles your 1720 background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.
What 1720 training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
Vets Who Code is a free, full-time software engineering accelerator for veterans, active duty, and military spouses. We close the fundamentals — terminal, web platform, AI tooling, portfolio projects — so the rest of this list becomes specialization, not square one.
See VWC Programs →Cognitive skills your 1720 training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
As a Foreign Area Officer in training, you're immersed in understanding complex geopolitical landscapes, cultural nuances, and potential threats within a specific region. You learn to constantly monitor and interpret information from diverse sources to anticipate events and understand their implications.
This translates to a keen ability to assess market trends, competitive intelligence, and emerging risks in the business world. You can quickly grasp the dynamics of an environment and anticipate potential challenges or opportunities.
Foreign Area Officer training requires you to think critically about potential adversaries, their motivations, and strategies. You learn to anticipate their actions and develop countermeasures.
This skill is valuable in competitive business environments. You can analyze competitors' strategies, anticipate their moves, and develop effective counter-strategies to maintain a competitive edge.
Even in training, Foreign Area Officers learn about the allocation of resources (personnel, equipment, funding) within their area of responsibility. You understand how to maximize the effectiveness of available resources to achieve strategic goals.
This translates directly to project management, where efficient allocation of resources, budget management, and personnel management are crucial to achieve optimal outcomes.
Following exercises and simulations, Foreign Area Officers participate in thorough after-action reviews to identify lessons learned, improve strategies, and refine their understanding of complex situations.
This analytical approach is invaluable in business. You can evaluate project performance, identify areas for improvement, and implement changes to optimize future outcomes.
Adjacent civilian roles your training maps to that conventional military-to-civilian advice tends to miss.
You've been trained to analyze complex situations, anticipate adversarial actions, and understand cultural nuances. This translates directly to the skills needed to research consumer behavior, identify market trends, and develop effective marketing strategies. You're adept at gathering information from diverse sources and drawing meaningful insights.
Adjacent · MatchYou've been trained to assess complex geopolitical landscapes, understand potential threats, and develop strategies for mitigating risk. This background makes you exceptionally well-suited to analyze political and economic risks for businesses operating in international markets. You can provide valuable insights to help companies make informed decisions and manage their exposure to risk.
Adjacent · MatchYou've developed a deep understanding of international relations, cultural differences, and geopolitical dynamics. You can leverage this knowledge to assist businesses in navigating the complexities of international trade, identifying new market opportunities, and ensuring compliance with trade regulations.
Adjacent · MatchVary depending on language and regional focus; typically substantial graduate-level credit recommendations.
Requires study of specific international trade regulations, finance, and marketing principles. Focus on practical application of trade laws and cross-cultural business communication.
Requires understanding of the PMBOK guide, formal project management methodologies, and practical experience leading projects. Focus on the five process groups and ten knowledge areas.
Military systems you operated and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) | Foreign language aptitude tests (e.g., for translation or interpretation roles) | Operations |
| Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System (JWICS) | Secure communication networks (e.g., encrypted messaging platforms, VPNs) | Networking |
| Global Command and Control System – Maritime (GCCS-M) | Maritime domain awareness platforms (e.g., vessel tracking and monitoring software) | Networking |
| Navy Integrated Tactical Environmental Subsystem (NITES) | Geospatial intelligence and weather analysis software (e.g., ESRI ArcGIS with weather data integration) | Operations |
| Automated Message Handling System (AMHS) | Secure document management and communication systems (e.g., secure file sharing platforms with audit trails) | Operations |
| Various country-specific databases and intelligence resources | International business intelligence platforms (e.g., market research databases, political risk analysis tools) | Data |
Pair this guide with the VWC AI-powered translator: drop in your service record, get back ATS-optimized civilian resume language tuned to the tech roles above.