NSA Annapolis Holds Change of Command Ceremony

ByPettyOfficer2ndClass

GriffinKersting

Naval District Washington

ANNAPOLIS,Md Capt.ChrisSchwarz, relievedCapt.HomerDeniusascommanding officer of Naval Support Activity (NSA) Annapolis during a change of command ceremonyatMahanHall,July14 2023. “Homer, you’ve had an incredible tour hereinAnnapolisthesepastfiveyears,”said presiding officer Vice Admiral Sean Buck, superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy. “And while your active service as a naval officer may soon be ending, your contributions to our Naval Academy, our Navy and Marine Corps,andournationwillbefeltforyearsto comethroughthepeopleyouhavementored andledthroughoutyourcareer.”

Under Denius’ leadership NSA Annapolis supported the Naval Academy’s more than 4,400 Midshipmen, more than 6,000 employees, and more than two million visitors a year Additionally, NSA Annapolis maintainedallfacilitieswhichincludedover 120 aging historic buildings and associated infrastructure that must be maintained to NationalHistoricRegistrysitestandards.

“This ceremony is about paying due respect for those that got me here,” said Denius “Those in attendance today that developed me to succeed and more importantlyhelpedmethroughmyfailures.Those whocareaboutmyfamily,thosewhoaremy role models and those that I spent so much timewithawayfromhome.

Prior to reporting to Annapolis, Schwarz servedastheCommandingOfficerofNaval Leadership and Ethics Command Dam

Neck.

“I’m extremely excited and humbled for the opportunity to lead an amazing and dedicated team of professionals here at NSA Annapolis,” said Schwarz “And to continuetobuildonalloftheamazingwork Captain Denius has accomplished over the last five years in support of both USNA and ourpartnershipswiththeCityofAnnapolis andAnneArundelCounty.”

FormoreinformationaboutNSAAnnapolis,visitoursocialsathttps://www.facebook. com/NSAAnnapolis/.

Navy starts first class for Maritime Cyber Warfare Officers

ByKurtVanSlooten

Center for Information Warfare Training

PENSACOLA,Fla. Thefirstthreeofficers in the Navy’s newest officer designation 1880, Maritime Cyber Warfare Officer (MCWO), started training in Computer Network Operator Qualification Course (CNOQC), which is being taught for the first time at Information Warfare Training Command Corry Station, on July 10 2023.

ThenewMCWOswilljoinwithenlisted Sailors in CNOQC to receive basic level training for offensive cyber operations provided to Interactive On-Net (ION) operators, as the first step toward creating Maritime Cyber Warfare Officers with on-keyboard skills

“We have offensive and defensive sides of cyber,” said Cmdr Gil Baughn, cyber program manager for the Center for InformationWarfareTraining(CIWT).“Forme and for and lot of other folks, you want an officer to be able to be able to go to either side and be able to manage teams on the offensive or defensive cyber mission.”

“Having folks that are extremely skilled in cyber is more critical now than ever before,”saidBaughn.“Thecontrolofinformationhasalwaysplayedaroleinwar.But withthespeedthateverythingtravelsnow, thecomplexityofnetworks;andhowinfrastructure operates, and how critical infrastructure is; everything depends on that interconnectivity across the internet.

“Our defensive side protects our infrastructure and denies the enemy access to it,”saidBaughn.“However,toouradversariesthatsameinfrastructureisimportantfor themtoprotect,andweneedtohavepeople onouroffensiveteamsthatcangoin,target, andexploitvulnerabilitiesintheirsystems.”

As the Navy’s cyber training provider CIWT’s goal is the create Sailors and joint servicemembersintheofficerandenlisted ranks who excel in providing those cyber capabilities

“The Navy is committed to meeting currentandfuturecybercapabilityrequirements Naval Information Forces and key leaders in IW domain closely examined the IW construct and determined it did not adequately support multiple tours in the cyber mission area, said Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, commander of Naval Information Forces “Creation of the MCWO designatorcreatesacareerpathforthoseofficers tospecializeinthecybermissionanddevelop theiruniqueandcriticalskillset.”

The three newest MCWOs attending CNOQC Ens Trady Chouaib from Union City Calif.; Ens Kevin Bae from Gaithers- burg, Md.; and Ens Hans Cabrera, from Elkridge Md.; are all excited about the opportunitytheyreceivedinbeingselected forthe1880designatortoworkinthecyber career field.

Chouaib, whose degree is in computer networks and cybersecurity, came into the coursewithsomeNavyexperienceaswell.

Prior to commissioning through Officer Candidate School, he served for six years in the cryptology technician networks rating whichrecentlytransitionedtocyber warfare technician, and did a tour at Navy InformationOperationsCommand(NIOC) Hawaii, where he was on the 26th Cyber Protection Team.

“It’s an amazing opportunity,” said Chouaib “It’s surreal being back here (at Corry Station, where he attended his enlisted cryptology technician networks training) and being offered the chance to be one of the first MCWOs.”

Bae went to the Naval Academy with the goal of working in the cyber field. He received his commission after graduating withadegreeincyberoperationsandmath. He said being selected for the maritime cyber warfare officer designation was the reason he joined the Navy and was exactly what he had hoped for Cabrerawasalsocommissionedthrough the Naval Academy, and graduated with a degree in computer science and information technology He was originally interested in becoming a cryptologic warfare officer, but is looking forward to the challenge of becoming a MCWO.

“I think cyber is going to be a really big part of whatever conflict we’re going to be innext,”saidCabrera.“It’sveryessentialto the mission that the Navy has.”

The MCWOs attending CNOQC are anticipated to graduate from the course in Jan. 2024 New officer accessions into the MCWO designator will also be filled through a re-designation opportunity, which will likely be offered at first only to Information Warfare officers in all paygrades, with thefirstselectionpaneltoheldinlate2023.

With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments andtrainingsitesthroughout the United States and Japan, CIWT trains more than 26,000 students every year, delivering trained information warfare professionalstotheNavyandjointservices CIWT also offers more than 200 courses for cryptologic technicians, cyber warfare technicians, intelligence specialists, information systems technicians, electronics technicians,andofficersintheinformation warfare community