Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Lindsay Lair | MONTEREY, Calif. (Apr. 26, 2024) Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician Interpretive Pete...... read more read more
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By: Cryptologic Technician Interpretive Chief Caitlin Chama
MONTEREY, Calif. – Following an overwhelmingly positive response to last year’s initiative aimed at informing and shaping the future linguists of the Cryptologic Technician Interpretive (CTI) rating, Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Monterey hosted its second annual CTI Career Mentorship Symposium on Apr. 26, 2024 at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, Calif.
This year’s event focused on equipping Sailors on the path to becoming CTIs with the knowledge and tools necessary to make informed career decisions.
Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Wayne Richards, a current Chinese-Mandarin student, attended the symposium, and expressed great enthusiasm for the event.
“I think it’s great,” Richards lauded. “Every time the Command sends someone a little bit different, which also speaks to how much this community changes day in and day out, and it’s something I’m looking forward to being a part of.”
For this year’s symposium, IWTC Monterey invited various subject matter experts and CTI rating stakeholders from across the fleet, including Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Pacific Direct Support (DIRSUP) Submarines, Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), Information Warfare Support Group (IWSG), the Cryptologic Technician (CT) Accessions Detailer, the CTI Senior Detailer, and the CTI Technical Advisor.
Richards, one of many fleet returnees at IWTC Monterey coming from the surface fleet, described how enlightening the briefs were for him. “I thought the intelligence field was a pretty niche thing,” he explained, “turns out it’s just as wide-ranging and different as the rest of the fleet.” He added, “It’s very refreshing to hear that there are so many opportunities as a CTI, and every time we have this symposium, there’s a different program, a different angle, a different side of this community that gets presented to us.”
What is especially unique about this initiative is that it gathers different program owners and stakeholders into one place at the same time. At IWTC Monterey, this symposium effectively streamlined stakeholder visits and incorporated various programs from across the Fleet to answer questions and provide motivation to aspiring CTIs.
Seaman Kierstin Hanifan, a current student in the Russian-language schoolhouse, attended the symposium for the second time.
“I feel like as a student, having this later in my experience gave me a more accurate view of what my career might look like,” she stated. “I also got to learn about opportunities that were not briefed last year.”
During the briefs, many Sailors found renewed inspiration in seeing and hearing from the women leaders who spoke about their experiences both operational and shore based.
“I definitely feel inspired, and honestly a lot more at ease,” Hanifan admitted. “I came into the Navy last year with a lot of fear about what was next. Seeing women in the positions that I have as a goal was super helpful, and it’s just great to see how the Navy and the world has developed when it comes to women involvement.”
After the initial presentations, each program lead conducted breakout sessions allowing students an opportunity to ask specific questions about their respective programs. Although, these sessions were completely voluntary, each breakout sessions had a line of Sailors eager to gain more knowledge and information from each program and stakeholder.
As Sailors resume their language studies following the symposium, IWTC Monterey leaders hope they now carry a better understanding of the CTI rating community and the future opportunities that await them.
“I just feel like I made the right choice with the Navy and with being a CTI,” Hanifan said. “From last year to today, I definitely feel a lot more prepared, inspired, and excited for what’s next.”
IWTC Monterey, as part of the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) provides a continuum of foreign language training to Navy personnel, which prepares them to conduct information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.
| Date Taken: | 04.26.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2024 15:03 |
| Story ID: | 473140 |
| Location: | MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 160 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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