By CTT1 (IW/SG/SW/AW) Joseph A. Lipster

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Cryptologic Technician 2nd Class Ariel Flowers, an electronic warfare shipboard operations instructor at Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Corry Station, organized Gay, Lesbian, and Supportive Sailors (GLASS) to provide education and mentorship for staff and students on LGBTQ+ issues, and continued support to the LGBTQ+ community.   

Officially started in September 2021, Flowers and her fellow board members worked diligently during the past few months to bring the organization together.

The board, consisting of Flowers (President), Information Technician 1st Class Savanah Tynes (Vice President), Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Anthony Hatchet (Secretary), Fire Control Technician 2nd Class Kiel Bucher (Treasurer), Cryptologic Technician Technical 2nd Class Noel Crosby (Social Chair) and Cryptologic Technician Technical 1st Class Sam Adams (Master-At-Arms) all have ties to the LGBTQ+ community, whether directly a part of the community or an ally wanting to create an environment for IWTC Corry Station staff members and students to feel welcomed and heard.

“Without supportive Sailors, the LGBTQ+ community cannot exist safely. GLASS is not exclusively for the LGBTQ+ community. It is for everyone! We highly encourage questions, and we want people to feel welcomed among peers,” said Flowers. “GLASS is here to show people that they are not alone in this world. Representation matters, and we want both staff and students to see that you can be whoever you are in the Navy and be a successful Sailor.”

In a typical GLASS meeting they have five to seven staff members, and ten to twelve students. However they always encourage and welcome more participation from both staff and students.

“The GLASS program is built on a foundation of representation, inclusiveness, support, and education; all of which I am proud to have built on and supported,” said Cryptologic Technician Technical Seaman Domenic Persson. “From my experience, the GLASS program has served to give LGBTQ+ service members representation in the command. The program provides an environment where LGBTQ+ Sailors can feel comfortable enough to speak freely and ask questions, which allows them to become more comfortable with themselves and the community as a whole. An intrinsic component of GLASS is the inclusivity between LGBTQ+ Sailors and supportive Sailors. This is shown through both meetings and events which give sailors a sense of belonging where they may otherwise feel alone. The program also shows Sailors that there is a future for them in the Navy through the inclusion of more senior supportive Sailors and members of the LGBTQ+ community. GLASS has overall given me the opportunity to learn from and help others, and I believe that it is a great benefit to the command as a whole.”

GLASS hosts events to bring Sailors together, such as their recent event “Monster Mash” held over Halloween. More than 100 students participated in the event with activities that included, a costume contest, an eight-team corn hole tournament, a performance by the IWTC Corry Station Performing Arts Company band, a haunted shack, a bounce house, and a bake sale. The event also provided an opportunity for other organizations on IWTC Corry Station, such as the holiday party committee, to raise funds for their upcoming event. This participation made the inaugural event a huge success for both the mission of GLASS and the overall morale at IWTC Corry Station, establishing GLASS as a true staple for the overall improvement of quality of life at IWTC Corry Station.

Another successful event was held during a weekend titled “GLASS-Giving” was a pot luck held at the IWTC Corry Station Chapel. About 25 students and ten staff members participated, sharing food and playing games.

“GLASS-Giving was a great event that provided students with an opportunity to connect with each other and promoted a sense of community during a holiday season that can be lonely for Sailors away from home for the first time,” said Crosby. “We look forward to hosting other events to bring the community together.”

IWTC Corry Station is a part of the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT). With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT is recognized as Naval Education and Training Command’s top learning center for the past three years. Training over 21,000 students every year, CIWT delivers 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.