That is, showing up a weekend a month does not justify spending dollars and jumping through hoops to get a seat for a Reserve body. Now then, if you are on long-term orders somewhere, then you could justify it. This is from the Navy perspective because the Navy does not give a crap about HUMINT.
One might be able to find some MOB opportunities to work in HUMINT which would involve getting some schools with the work up for the MOB.
These used to be easier to find with IA MOBS years ago, but it appears to me that we see fewer and fewer of these MOB opportunities now.
I'm a reservist - it's a part time gig. I do it because I love it and I go after what I want with it. I avoid what I don't like unless I have no choice. For example - I hate imagery. I suspect I could get good at it but I hate it and I avoid it.
What I do in the reserve has nothing to do with any work I do full time on the civilian side. So I'm not looking for my reserve work to open up a new career for me. That being said, I'm not closed to new fields either. I've often enjoyed my work as a Navy Reservist more than I have my civilian career and have considered making a change to doing stuff I've liked doing through my reserve work on a full time basis. I guess you never know.
My civilian career and reserve career are just chapters in a book that isn't finished yet. One chapter has a bit more substance to it. The other is a bit shorter but more fun to read so far.
But I've never approached my reserve part time gig as a full time job. I've never stressed over the best course for a career in the reserve. I've just done what I've liked to do with it. And it turns out - there's a very good chance that I'll probably end up putting in 20 plus. They will have to tell me to leave, because I've liked doing it and I don't want to stop doing it.
I'll be honest - I'd have rather been a combat arms type - but life, marriage, kids, jobs, - Navy Reserve worked out better than trying to be a full time tanker, pilot, or infantryman. It's a choice I made.
After joining, I had some buyer's remorse with the Navy Reserve because I wasn't doing all the stuff I wanted to in my imagination - but by doing what wanted when opportunities opened up within the Intel side that appealed to me - I not only liked it - but I got to do a lot more of what I would have imagined I wished I could do when I joined.
This is probably why I like the reserve. I got to do what I wanted to do. I did more of what I joined to do and less of what I didn't want to do.
If like me, you just want to do what you want to do with the reserve than go after the opportunities that appeal to you. If HUMINT floats your boat then go for it. If you hate imagery or OPINTEL - avoid it and do something you like.
Everyone posting has great points - so I'd listen. I might not get past O-4 when that time comes. I bet many posters will.
Then again, I just might make it further and I expect to too. But I'm not mapping my part time job to get ahead so much. I can't say I don't do it at all - but I do it because I like it. I don't pick a direction based on what an advancement board might think if I ever get a look at O-5 many years down the road.
I think many people that approach the reserve in the way I'm describing find it supplements their lives and these types of reservists tend to enjoy the experience.
If you are really only interested in what the Big Navy thinks it needs or wants - that's cool. I hope for you that what big Navy Wants is what you want to do. If it is, you will be happy. If not, you might learn to love it or you could find yourself miserable in the reserve.
My two cents is if you see a small section in the Navy Reserve that appeals to you go for it and be happy. Big Navy will figure what makes them happy.
But I would agree with the others posting - if you want to be a full time high speed secret agent - CIA is probably where to go. If you see this as a part time gig and want to spice things up with a little excitement and be a Jr. Varsity type in that racy world one weekend a month, AT, and a mob here and there - you might just find what you looking for being a reservist.
Good luck! Hope you dig what you end up doing, whatever that is.