CIWT Sailor Trains, Prepares Navy CTTs To Defend America

PENSACOLA, FL, UNITED STATES

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Neo Greene

Center for Information Warfare Training

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Neo B. Greene III, Center for Information Warfare Training

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A Decatur, Alabama native is stationed with a command responsible for teaching future information warfare warriors the skills required to defend America around the world.

Petty Officer 1st Class Damian Landreth is a cryptologic technician (technical) (CTT) and operates as training manager for CTT “A” and “F” school courses out of Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station, Florida.

A Navy CTT Sailor is responsible for the collection and processing of airborne, shipborne and land based signals. They operate electronic intelligence receiving and direction finding systems, digital recording devices, and analysis terminals and associated computer equipment across the fleet.

Landreth has served in the Navy for 12 years of active duty, joining in 2007 and has been stationed at CIWT for three years.

“Our CIWT Sailors truly are the best of the best, and Petty Officer Landreth is a superb example of the outstanding Sailors serving in today’s Navy,” said CIWT’s Command Master Chief Francisco Vargas. “His dedicated efforts are why CIWT is recognized as the best learning center in the Navy and are indicative of today’s Navy team of world-class enlisted leaders molding fleet-ready Sailors for the Navy the nation needs.”

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Landreth and other Sailors and staff serve as a key part of the information warfare community in its mission to gain a deep understanding of the inner workings of adversaries and developing unmatched knowledge of the battlespace during wartime.

“The work I do directly affects first-accession Sailors heading to the fleet, as well as seasoned Sailors returning to our information warfare training commands,” said Landreth. “It prepares them for current threats in the fleet and gives them a refresher on their training.”

These Sailors and staff have a tremendous responsibility in creating war-fighting options for fleet commanders and advising decision-makers at all levels as they serve worldwide aboard ships, submarines and aircraft and from the National Security Agency.

“My favorite course I work on is the Joint Tactical Terminal-Maritime course. It was the first course I took over when I checked into CIWT,” said Landreth. “I took three separate, outdated courses and combined them into one single course. It’s great to read all the feedback from students saying how good of a course it is and how much better it is than the older courses.”

Along with being a training manager, Landreth plays a role in community involvement with the Petty Officer’s Association (POA).

“I like the Corry Station POA’s involvement with the Navy Point Elementary School,” said Landreth. “As a POA, we have helped raise donations and funds, for two years now, to create a school backpack drive to provide backpacks and school supplies to the students and teachers.”

Landreth takes pride in his job and how it helps Sailors and the Navy.

“I take the most pride in the fact that so few people, let alone junior personnel like myself, get the opportunity to affect their rating in the way a rating training manager does,” said Landreth. “All the curriculum I work on will be seen by almost every CTT in the Navy. It’s my responsibility to ensure that the products I put out are the most updated and accurate so every shipmate is combat ready with the capability of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.”

Charged with developing the future technical cadre of the information warfare community, the CIWT domain leads, manages, and delivers Navy and joint force training to approximately 21,000 students annually. With roughly 1,300 military, civilian and contracted staff members, CIWT oversees about 200 courses at four information warfare training commands, two detachments, and additional learning sites located throughout the United States and Japan.

CIWT is responsible for training enlisted cryptologic technicians, information systems technicians, intelligence specialists, and electronics technicians. CIWT also provides training to cryptologic warfare, information professional, intelligence, and foreign area officers that prepares them to be prepared to wage battle, and assure the nation’s success in this burgeoning warfare arena.

“The CIWT team is successful because each of our domain members, like CTT1 Landreth, is committed to our job of preparing Sailors to fight and win in the arena of information warfare,” said Capt. Nick Andrews, CIWT’s commanding officer. “I’m extremely proud of how his hard work and professionalism prepares our Sailors so they are ready to fight and win.”

For more news from Center for Information Warfare Training domain, visit www.navy.mil/local/cid/, https://www.public.navy.mil/netc/centers/ciwt/, www.facebook.com/NavyCIWT, or www.twitter.com/NavyCIWT.