Many Sailors attached to Information Warfare Training Command Monterey Detachment Goodfellow participated in a 6.2-mile ruck march on Sept. 28, 2021, to honor the life of Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson who was killed by an improvised explosive device while deployed to Iraq in 2005.

Jacobson, deployed from Goodfellow AFB, was she was the first Airman to die in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the anniversary of her death is commemorated annually by a ruck march.

Of the many Sailors who came out to participate in the ruck march, Chief Cryptologic Technician (Collection) Nick Diaz, attached to IWTC Monterey Detachment Goodfellow as an instructor for the Navy Reporting and Analysis course, feels a deep connection to the sacrifices Jacobson made. Diaz deployed to Iraq as a hospital corpsman and saw first-hand the sacrifice his fellow Sailors and Marines made on a daily basis.

When asked what participation in the ruck march meant to him, Diaz said, “I’m proud to see all services come out and honor A1C Jacobson’s sacrifice and legacy. It is important to never forget her or anyone else who made sacrifices.”

Lt. Cdr. Mark Wess, the officer in charge of IWTC Monterey Detachment Goodfellow rucked right alongside Diaz. Wess said, “Chief Diaz is a warrior and always will be. His service in Iraq was critical in keeping Sailors and Marines alive. He brings a lot of unique experience to Goodfellow and we are lucky to have him as an instructor.”

The ruck march not only honors Jacobson’s life, but is also a way for Goodfellow to give back to the community. Rucksacks from all branches of the military, filled with canned food, were donated to the Concho Valley Food bank in San Angelo. The Navy detachment alone donated more than 150 pounds of canned food to help those in need within the community.

IWTC Monterey Detachment Goodfellow is aligned under IWTC Monterey. As part of the Center for Information Warfare Training domain, the detachment provides a continuum of foreign language training and analysis to Navy personnel, which prepares them to conduct information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.

With four schoolhouse commands, a detachment, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT trains approximately 26,000 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.