Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse Dick | A 2011 Seminole High School graduate and formerly homeless Sanford, Florida native now...... read more read more
FORT MEADE, Maryland - A 2011 Seminole High School graduate and Sanford, Florida native helps protect America by delivering information warfare capabilities to the U.S. Navy as a member of Cryptologic Warfare Group Six.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Cheeseman is a cryptologic technician collection.
“A Navy CTR is a signals analyst and from my experience, it's the most versatile rate in the cryptological technician field,” explained Cheeseman. “I learned what signals are, and how to both develop and break them. Here I do briefs, and conduct ship tracking, but the job can vary from controlling unmanned aerial vehicles to assisting special operations. We are extremely versatile and we are trained for anything we get thrown into.”
Cheeseman plays a crucial role in defending against threats in support of the command’s mission to deliver Information Warfare capabilities, such as signals intelligence and cyberspace operations, to the Navy fleet and joint forces.
Information technology advances at a staggering pace. Practically all major systems on ships, aircraft, submarines, and unmanned vehicles are networked to some degree. This includes most combat, communications, engineering, and navigation systems. While connectivity provides the military with speed, agility, and precision, it also opens numerous attack opportunities for adept cyber adversaries.
There is an inextricable linkage between signals intelligence and cyber operations. Signals intelligence helps inform operational commanders and forward deployed operational units in real time about the actions of adversaries and feeds directly into the Navy’s understanding of cyber actors and their potential actions.
“Given today’s environment of continuous growth in the information and technology realms, our information warfare missions have never been more important. I’m extremely proud of the Sailors and extended team who make our mission possible every day,” said, CWG-6 Commander Capt. Joe J. Johnson.
Members of the Information Warfare Community like Cheeseman support the Navy’s ability to maintain power projection, sea control and maritime superiority.
Cheeseman said he is proud to serve at the forefront of technology innovation and cyber operations, helping to protect America from threats around the world. The path to this career was not easy for the sailor, though.
“The Navy got me out of homelessness,” said Cheeseman. “I was homeless before I joined. Serving got me out of the debt I was in due to unexpected medical bills, and gives me the opportunity to go back to school, which I had to stop earlier. It's a fresh start when it’s so hard to break the cycle of poverty. I joined and then suddenly had a place to live, food to eat and money to buy things. It wasn't until last year where I finally realized I could stop living like I was still extremely poor.”
This adversity helped prepare Cheeseman for a military career.
"Growing up poor, if I didn't get to eat anything, it wasn’t even a big deal. I learned to adapt, and that's important in the Navy—adapting to the mission,” said Cheeseman. “It has taught me to take responsibility for my own actions and the decisions I make. I got out of poverty because of me. While being born into poverty wasn't my decision, getting out of it was.”
Cheeseman is proud of not only serving, but the accomplishments he has made in a relatively short time.
“I’m proud of earning my Information Warfare pin. I did it quickly at my first command,” said Cheeseman regarding the Navy’s recognition as a subject matter expert in the field.
The future of U.S. maritime power depends on the Navy’s ability to achieve its vision for cyberspace operations which is based on careful consideration of the threats, trends and challenges in cyberspace. The men and women of Cryptologic Warfare Group Six and Navy Information Warfare team stand ready to provide outstanding support to meet the Navy’s mission on a global scale.
| Date Taken: | 08.24.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 08.28.2017 15:57 |
| Story ID: | 246155 |
| Location: | FORT MEADE, MARYLAND, US |
| Hometown: | FORT MEADE, MARYLAND, US |
| Hometown: | SANFORD, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,290 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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