VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Electronics Technician 3rd Class Falyn Taylor, a native of Washington, D.C., joined the Navy in May 2020 in order to fulfill a lifelong goal of serving her country.
 
Taylor was influenced and inspired throughout her childhood by the overwhelmingly patriotic and militarily-influenced community she was raised in.
 
Taylor is currently serving in her first fleet tour as a system administrator in the communications directorate of Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Virginia Beach.
 
“The most rewarding part about working as a system administrator is the ability to expand my knowledge and skills within the IT field that provides versatility and well-roundedness both in and out of the information warfare community,” said Taylor.
 
Taylor graduated from Radford University, located in Radford, Va., in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and enlisted in the Navy the following year. After completing boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, she spent the next year and a half completing Electronics Technician “A” School and Information System Maintenance and Navigation pipeline “C” School.
 
After completing her Navy schooling, Taylor received her orders to IWTC Virginia Beach, where she integrated quickly into the growing team of system administrators responsible for maintaining seven network domains and 30 sub-systems that directly support the IWTC Virginia Beach staff and more than 6,600 students annually.
 
Taylor is constantly working to find the balance between her personal life and military career, ensuring she effectively copes with stressors.
 
“Confronting a problem or dealing with stressors is the only way to effectively reduce the stress it causes,” Taylor stated.
 
Taylor draws inspiration from Frederick Douglas to tackle such problems, leaning into his mindset that “if there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
 
In her off-time, Taylor volunteers with the sorority Zeta Phi Beta at Radford University. The sorority conducts year-round community events in the D.C. area in support of other non-profit organizations.
 
IWTCVB currently offers 56 courses of instruction in information technology, cryptology, and intelligence with an instructor and support staff of 278 military, civilian, and contract members who train over 6,600 students every year at five training sites. It is one of four schoolhouses for the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) and also oversees learning sites at Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Jacksonville and Mayport, Florida; Kings Bay, Georgia; and Groton, Connecticut.