PENSACOLA. Fla. – Doug Strain, a native of the West River region of South Dakota, selflessly served the Navy in uniform and as a civil service employee for the past 43 years, leaving a lasting legacy on the intelligence community (IC) for many years to come.

When asked about the major impacts he felt he made on the intelligence community over his 43 years of service, Strain shared, “I’d like to think I contributed in a significant manner to the efforts of the various operational analytical teams to which I was assigned over the decades, afloat and ashore, in CVICs, JICs, and FOSICs as we navigated our way through the waning decade of the Cold War and the follow-on era of regional conflicts and global terrorism. I’m extremely fortunate to have experienced these events with extraordinarily enviable professionals and true patriots – these colleagues played a leading role in my professional development as well as my successes in the intelligence community and Navy. But perhaps the greatest impact I made, I would like to think, anyhow, was on the new professionals that followed me into this community, as well as those with whom I served with side-by-side over the years. I hope I stood out as a positive role model for them and provided a fitting example of a naval professional and intelligence community leader.”

Strain began his Navy career in 1978 as an enlisted Sailor, retired from active duty after 29 years as an intelligence officer in 2007, immediately transitioned to civil service the same year and retired again in April 2021 in the role as director of intelligence / information warfare officer training at Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Virginia Beach.

“Mr. Strain’s superior service as a military intelligence professional supporting national missions through the Cold War to his service in the special warfare community during the 9/11-period, followed by his service as DoD civilian preparing future generations of IC professionals truly demonstrate his dedication and commitment to excellence,” offered Cmdr. Jeff Laubaugh, a fellow Navy intelligence officer assigned to the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) and personal friend of Strain.

During his active duty career, Strain served in various Navy and joint environments during multiple deployments as an indications and warning analyst; satellite communications expert; operation intelligence instructor; all source intelligence analyst; imagery analyst; tactical targeting materials officer; operational intelligence division officer; officer in charge of the Intelligence Specialist Training Detachment; director of intelligence for Special Warfare Group 2; and intelligence officer for Amphibious Squadron 2.

“The impact of Mr. Strain’s contribution to the United States Intelligence Community cannot be overstated, and throughout his 29-year military career, Mr. Strain flawlessly executed and supported all facets of military intelligence,” added Laubaugh.

Following his retirement, Strain transitioned to a career as a civilian intelligence professional, quickly rising to the position of director of intelligence training at what was then called the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center–now known as IWTC Virginia Beach.

Throughout his tenure as an IC training leader, he personally led execution of training 41,630 joint-service, civilian and international intelligence professionals to include 7,544 officers, 389 warrant officers, and 33,697 enlisted members across the spectrum of IC specialties.

“Mr. Strain’s leadership, intelligence expertise and educational prowess has impacted the entire intelligence community, from our newest analyst to our most senior officers,” continued Laubaugh. “Mr. Strain’s efforts ensured that each intelligence course is specifically designed and continuously evaluated to meet the dynamic needs of the issues facing the IC today will benefit military and civilian intelligence professionals for many years to come.”

When asked what Strain would miss most about serving the intelligence community, he shared, “I’ll miss the fraternity of the close-knit IC family I’ve served with over the years. The professional and personal relationships I’ve had with the expanded members of the combined intelligence, cryptologic, and ‘data processing’ communities have been extremely rewarding and memorable. I will certainly also miss serving with the members of the surface, aviation, and special warfare communities, as well as our brothers in the Marine Corps.”

IWTC Virginia Beach currently offers 59 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 in the Hampton Roads area. It is one of four school houses 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 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.

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.