VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – As Sailors in Hampton Roads began enjoying new liberty conditions allowed under Health Protection Condition Bravo (HPCON B), Sailors of Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Virginia Beach’s Petty Officer Association (POA) were busy supporting community outreach programs

As part of the Virginia Beach Adopt-a-Highway program, the IWTC Virginia Beach POA was able to adopt a one mile segment of road found just outside Naval Air Station Oceana, Dam Neck Annex.

Recently, Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Sydney Huisman, the event planner, led a group of 16 petty officers who worked with trash bags in hand collecting garbage found near the side of the road. After all was said and done, nearly 50 pounds of trash was collected and removed.

“We currently have a one mile stretch of road from the intersection of London Bridge Road and Dam Neck to the intersection of London Bridge and Mayberry Avenue,” shared said POA President Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Ken Evans. “We plan on doing a clean-up at least once a month, and we hope to expand the events from the POA to include other members of the command.”

The IWTC Virginia Beach POA membership is voluntary and open to all Navy personnel in the ranks of E4 to E6. The POA focuses on professional development and mentorship. The organization also focuses on promoting unity between the local community and IWTC Virginia Beach through events such as the Adopt-A-Highway clean-up and other volunteer community outreach events.

Historically, the IWTC Virginia Beach POA has also planned and hosted holiday parties, cookouts and conducted fundraisers for command events.

IWTC Virginia Beach currently offers 59 courses of instruction in information technology, cryptology, and intelligence with an instructor and support staff of 230 military, civilian, and contract members who train over 6,600 students every year at five training sites in the Hampton Roads area. It is one of four schoolhouses for Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) and also 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.