[matthewbadeau]

Air Force Cryptolinguist training is up to 480 days[0]. So, someone out of high school can sign up to the Air Force and complete the training in a little under 2 years. Her first job as a cryptolinguist would be working at a DoD related agency working on TS material. So yes, you are asked to believe this because this is a common occurrence.

[0]https://www.airforce.com/careers/detail/cryptologic-language...

[pc86]

One of the smartest people I've met had this exact job immediately after HS. If this is the type of career you want it's actually a very good path. It gets you relevant experience while most of your HS classmates are still in college, you can get a degree either during your tour or immediately after, debt free, and by the time you're done you've been pretty extensively vetted.