Navy Readiness: CIWT Leads the Review, Modernization and Development of IW PQSs

Photo By Michele Diamond | Logo for Center for Information Warfare Training. (U.S. Navy graphic by Michele Diamond)  

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

12.10.2018

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Taylor Jackson 

Center for Information Warfare Training

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Taylor L. Jackson, Center for Information Warfare Training

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Across the fleet, Sailors rely on standardized training requirements to ensure their skills and knowledge match mission requirements. These requirements are listed in the form of personnel qualification standards (PQS). Covering topics such as watch standing, equipment operation, maintenance and rating knowledge, PQSs are a critical element to the training process.

For the Navy’s information warfare (IW) community, the responsibility of creating, maintaining and updating PQSs is managed by the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) and its training directorate. CIWT, which is responsible for all aspects of IW training, currently manages 95 PQSs. The task of managing these PQSs falls to the N75 department within the N7 training directorate. Between two employees, Laurie Luke and Al Stout, N75 manages the PQSs that set the learning standards for both enlisted and officer Sailors.

“The PQS program ensures personnel demonstrate required competencies prior to performing specific duties,” said Sam Kelley, CIWT’s PQS development department lead. “PQS outlines the minimum knowledge and abilities an individual must demonstrate in order to perform duties related to the safe, secure and proper operation of a ship, aircraft or support system.”

To ensure PQS materials accurately reflect current requirements, each one undergoes a review every three years or sooner if directed. For the review process, CIWT brings in a panel of subject matter experts to determine any updates or revisions needed to meet fleet standards. Using this process, CIWT is able to complete 18 to 20 PQS updates annually.

In addition to the scheduled 20 annual updates, CIWT also handles immediate PQS requirements delivered by the type commander (TYCOM). In 2018, CIWT delivered six additional PQS builds and updates requiring immediate development.

“These ad hoc requests modify our existing schedule, but that is completely normal and expected,” said Kelley. “We shift our focus to complete these request because these emergent tasks are normally new or classified source documents that need to be develop quickly to support fleet systems modernization or the lack of any existing source documents.”

PQS requirements are typically unclassified documents. However, due to the mission requirements of the information warfare community, some PQS documents require higher level classification. CIWT is the only center within the Naval Education and Training Command enterprise with the capability of developing various classified source publications.

PQSs focus on mission effectiveness, combat readiness and survivability as well as introducing an overall understanding of how an individual unit's mission fits into and supports naval doctrine and objectives. The goal is to provide an introduction to the processes and topics necessary to support the warfighting requirements of the Navy, and for CIWT’s PQS team, the information warfare community.

With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT is recognized as Naval Education and Training Command’s top learning center for the past two years. Training over 21,000 students every year, CIWT delivers trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services. CIWT also offers more than 200 courses for cryptologic technicians, intelligence specialists, information systems technicians, electronics technicians, and officers in the information warfare community.

For more news from Center for Information Warfare Training organization, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/cid/, http://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/CIWT/, http://www.facebook.com/NavyCIWT, or http://www.twitter.com/NavyCIWT.

• Date Taken: 12.10.2018
• Date Posted: 12.10.2018 15:30
• Story ID: 302879
• Location: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US