Oct. 22, 2013
Vol. 2 Issue 127
INFORMATION
DOMINANCE STORY BY MC2 (SW) DEVIN WRAY
“ I
The EIDWS program helps Sailors... stand out amongst their peers and help contribute to the battle space picture.
”
- IT1 Cummings
t’s been 10 months since the first Sailor received an Enlisted Information Dominance Warfare Specialist (EIDWS) qualification aboard Nimitz. Since that time, other senior Sailors have earned their pins and taken the reins by creating the training and testing process from the ground up. “I love the fact that the pin helps people obtain the general knowledge of what our information dominance ratings do and how the combined knowledge contributes to the big picture,” said Information Systems Technician 1st Class Paul Cummings, one of the petty officer first class’ on board qualified to sign information dominance qualification books. “Every eligible Sailor who pursues this voluntary opportunity will bolster their own professional resume and enhance the war fighting capability of their own command.” Sailors who enroll in the EIDWS qualification will
have a chance to learn some things that other warfare qualifications don’t teach. “I focus on the METOC [Meteorology and Oceanography] and space areas,” said Aerographer’s Mate 1st Class Jason Fisher, a strike forecaster assigned to Carrier Air Wing 11. He said those areas teach, “the space impacts to communications, how weather forecasting impacts the war fighter, and overall strategy of using the environment to our advantage against an adversary.” “The subjects I like teaching the most are heritage and organizational structure,” said Cummings. “This helps our young Sailors learn where our dominance ratings came from, as well as understand a staff structure.” Like other warfare qualifications, EIDWS requires Sailors take a 100 question test, followed by an oral board. According to Cummings though, this program Continued on page 3