By Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) 1st Class Amanda Girard, Center for Information Warfare Training Det. Fort Gordon
FORT GORDON, Ga. -- If you do an internet search for the most stressful jobs in the United States, military personnel generally rank within the top 10, if not number one, on most results. In order to ensure safe, efficient and effective operations, military personnel must be well-trained beyond the expectations of their civilian counterparts. That is where our Navy instructors enter the picture.
The Navy Instructor Training Course prepares Sailors who demonstrate proficiency and expertise in their field to teach other Sailors in a formal setting. The course covers both technique and theory, and provides the groundwork needed for effective instruction.
Upon arrival to their instructor duty station, many Sailors have the opportunity to obtain further, more in-depth education. This certification is called Master Training Specialist (MTS). This additional education covers educational theory as well as the processes and interworking elements of the Navy training realm, from instructor duties and responsibilities all the way up to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. The rigorous qualification enables Navy instructors to be more invested in their role in the Navy training system.
Up until recently, this qualification was not readily visible to selection boards, gaining commands or other programs. But in December of 2019, all of that changed with the approval of the new MTS Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) code: 8MTS.
At the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) Det. Fort Gordon, an impressive 68% of instructors are MTS qualified. With the encouragement and support of Officer in Charge Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Kruppa and Senior Enlisted Leader Master Chief Electronics Technician John Dikun, the Sailors at CIWT Det. Fort Gordon are exceeding and excelling in their certifications.
Currently, Information Systems Technician 1st Class Daniel Coward leads the Det.’s MTS program.
Coward shared his first impressions of the MTS program: “I had never heard of the Master Training Specialist qualification prior to becoming an instructor. Even when I learned what it was, I didn’t know it would be such a useful qualification to obtain. I now realize what it means and how important it is, not only to myself but also to my students and peers. The MTS certification also opens doors to advancement opportunities, awards and future careers in the training field, in the service and beyond.”
With two CIWT domain Instructors of the Year for 2019, the MTS program at CIWT Det. Fort Gordon is providing real results. The approval of the new MTS NEC also means that all Sailors who have already qualified for their MTS will be assigned this new NEC. The Navy is committed to maintaining and advancing the expertise of its instructors, and to recognizing the high quality standards that these Sailors uphold in fulfilling their command’s instructional mission.
As a training location for the Center for Information Warfare Training, CIWT Det. Fort Gordon delivers trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services, enabling optimal performance of information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations. CIWT Det. Fort Gordon specializes in training to fleet Sailors in the areas of satellite communications operation and maintenance, maritime cryptologic systems operation and maintenance, and language training graduating approximately 225 students in 30 courses of instruction annually.
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 three years. Training over 20,000 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.
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