PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- Center for Information Dominance (CID) wrapped up a three-day review of training for the cryptologic technician (maintenance), or CTM, rating Dec. 3.
Representatives from Fleet Forces Command, Fleet Cyber Command, Information Dominance Forces, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance (OPNAV N2/N6), Naval Surface Forces, Naval Air Forces, various Navy information operations commands and other commands where CTMs are stationed, along with the CTM enlisted community manager and detailer from Navy Personnel Command, participated in the assessment together with CID staff and CID Unit Corry Station instructors.
The CTM rating is one of the first six ratings being assessed as part of the Naval Education and Training Command's Ready, Relevant Learning programs for Sailor 2025.
"Ready, Relevant Learning is one pillar of the Sailor 2025 initiative, with the other two pillars being a modernized personnel system and an enriched culture, all in an effort to have a more rounded Sailor for the fleet," said Master Chief Cryptologic Technician (Maintenance) Neil Watson, the CTM enlisted community manager and technical advisor. "We're excited to be the first rate in the Information Dominance Corps to go through this process, and we're looking forward to the outcome, the positive benefit for our Sailors in the future."
The pillar of Ready, Relevant Learning within Sailor 2025 includes refining a career learning continuum and leveraging learning technology.
During the session, the team took into account existing CTM courses, occupational standards, Navy Enlisted Classification requirements and other applicable details, such as sponsor-stated requirements from operational and fleet stakeholders. They also reviewed learning objectives and the Job Duty Task Analysis (JDTA) for the CTM rating. The JDTA process captures various aspects of work the rating performs and is the first step in building or revising training content.
Conducting a Block Learning analysis was one of the most critical aspects of the group's work to identify instruction blocks that potentially could be learned later in a Sailor's career. The team will make initial Block Learning recommendations and finalize an updated JDTA.
"Ready, Relevant Learning is the right training at the right time at the right cost," said Master Chief Cryptologic Technician (Maintenance) Jonathan Tipton, who reviews fleet cryptologic maintenance policy and requirements for Fleet Forces Command. "We are looking at our existing training, which has traditionally been all up front, and figuring out how to best break it up into blocks and then deliver it to the Sailors just in time for whatever their next job is going to be."
Tipton pointed out that with the current training model a Sailor could potentially receive training for two years up front and never see training again until much later in his or her career. With the block learning concept, CTMs and all other rates will be built up over time.
"The initial concept is excellent to help Sailors retain the highly technical skill sets that the CTM and other particularly specialized ratings receive," said Master Chief Cryptologic Technician (Maintenance) Marcus Trotter, OPNAV N2/N6 senior rating advisor, comparing the anticipated outcome to a business model of training interns. "One way to look at this newer approach is to keep Sailors relevant, almost the way civilian technicians are developed when they join a new company. It's smarter business and a better return on investment for the Navy."
CID, with its headquarters based at Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station, is the Naval Education and Training Command learning center that leads, manages and delivers Navy and joint forces training in information operations, information warfare, information technology, cryptology and intelligence.
With nearly 1,300 military, civilian and contracted staff members, CID provides training for approximately 22,000 members of the U.S. armed services and allied forces each year. CID oversees the development and administration of more than 200 courses at four commands, two detachments and 12 learning sites throughout the United States and Japan.
For more information about the Center for Information Dominance, visit http://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/ceninfodom/; http://www.facebook.com/CenterForInformationDominance/ and http://twitter.com/CenterInfoDom/.
For more news from the Center for Information Dominance, visit www.navy.mil/local/cid/.