IWTC Virginia Beach’s IW Basic Course Prepares IW Warriors to Fight and Win

23 October 2020

From Information Warfare Training Command Virginia Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – As the Navy continues to safely navigate the obstacles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, future leaders within the information warfare community (IWC) have persevered and are training for future challenges. Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Virginia Beach’s Information Warfare Basic Course (IWBC) continues to develop and deploy IWC professionals across the globe.

IWBC provides active and Reserve component, new-accession, lateral transfer, designated restricted line, limited duty officers, and chief warrant officers with the basic knowledge and skills to perform as a first tour information warfare officer.

The course is three weeks long with an annual throughput of approximately 430 students. IWBC students span all designators across the IWC with specialties in intelligence, information systems professionals, cryptologic warfare, meteorological and oceanographic and cyber warfare.

“Learning the foundational information in three weeks seemed rather intimidating at first, but having the high-quality level instructors provide a ‘layman’s’ understanding helped tremendously,” said Ensign Mark Vear, a recent student. “I now have a solid understanding of the IWC and my role within the community.”

IWBC provides an opportunity for members of each of the IWC designators to work with each other and learn the basic capabilities that are outside their specific warfighting domain. With shared functions, capabilities and resources, IWC professionals work together to leverage their skills to optimize decision making and to maximize the use of sensors, weapons, network communications and control systems for purposes of national security and warfighting.

The course also sets the tone for the rest of these junior officers’ careers prior to the start of their individual community’s basic qualifying courses.

IWTC Virginia Beach, located in Dam Neck Annex, currently offers 65 courses of instruction in information technology, cryptology, and intelligence with an instructor and support staff of 280 military, civilian, and contractors who train over 6,500 students every year. It is one of four schoolhouses for the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) and oversees learning sites at Jacksonville and Mayport, Florida; Kings Bay, Georgia; and Groton, Connecticut to continue aligning information warfare community training.

With four schoolhouse commands, a detachment, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT trains over 22,000 students every year, delivering 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 the Center for Information Warfare Training domain, visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/CIWT, www.facebook.com/NavyCIWT, or www.twitter.com/NavyCIWT.