The Communications Information Technology Excellence (CITE) award recognizes a command's ability to carry out its assigned missions and perform as an effective part of the fleet's mission essential shore support team. It has been presented to Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Stations and detachments that fall under the Naval Network and Space Operations Command (NNSOC) claimancy.
The winners of this award have consistently demonstrated the highest degree of professionalism and expertise characteristic of Sailors and civilian personnel attached to winning commands. This year NNSOC recognized the hard work and dedication exhibited by the personnel of Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Far East by naming it the "Telecommunications Station of the Year."
"It is truly an honor to receive the Naval Network and Space Operations Command '2005 CITE Station of the Year Award.' This award tells everyone that our team is indeed the best Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station in the world. It is our Battle 'E' and a testimonial to the dedication and professionalism of the Sailors and civilians that make up NCTS FE. This award recognizes the tremendous growth of our command in the last year with the assumption of base networks as well as the rollout of ONE-NET," said Cmdr. Tina Swallow, commanding officer of NCTS Far East.
NCTS Far East is a tenant of the Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. It has a large area of responsibility (AOR) and provides such a wide variety of services that the excellence recognized by the CITE award is a recognition of the NCTS Far East entire team of more than 800 personnel serving in outlying sites in Misawa, Sasebo, Okinawa and Kami Seya, Japan, Chinhae, Korea, and the Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan.
Wherever NCTS FE personnel are stationed, the CITE award reflects the combined contributions of Sailors, civil service employees, Japanese master labor contractors, and other contractors stationed throughout the region.
NCTS FE Sailors and civilian personnel deliver reliable and secure communications and information technology services to the Far East region. With detachments scattered across the Far East, the AOR for NCTS FE spans beyond Japan, reaching from Diego Garcia to Korea and Singapore to Guam.
The command provides telecommunications, tactical messaging support, and wireless communications as well as Internet Protocol (IP) network traffic to shore facilities and the fleet. In addition, the command provides regional telephone service to customers throughout the Far East.
The Director Communications Security Material System - Electronic Key Management System (DCMS EKMS) Advice and Assistance team calls the command home. The NCTS FE technical control facility houses more than 500 Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) circuits in addition to Navy and joint command circuits. NCTS FE is also home to the largest EKMS account west of the continental United States and has more than 40 local elements spread throughout its AOR.
NCTS FE has a Defense Messaging System (DMS) Local Control Center, which is the home of the Automated Message Handling System test program. NCTS FE also provides frequency spectrum management services and interference resolution for all of Japan. Its customers include seven flag commands, 13 major commands, many joint commands and multinational partners.
NCTS FE supports the warfighter in the global war on terrorism by delivering services to commands deploying and returning from expeditionary zones. The command also directly supports war efforts through many individual augmentations to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and U.S. Central Command units.
NCTS FE won the CITE award in the midst of dramatic change. In 2005, NCTS Far East gained increased capability and responsibility by merging with the Information Technology Service Center Far East and the various Base Communication Offices that provide telephone services throughout the region. This merger enabled the establishment of the OCONUS Navy enterprise network known as ONE-NET.
The high morale of civil service and military personnel shows in NCTS FE's high retention rate because NCTS FE personnel perform challenging, interesting work in support of the warfighter — and it's a great place to work.
ET2 (IUSS) Michael Odom is the NCTS FE public affairs officer.