Navy IWTC Corry Station Graduates Its First CNOQC Students
by U.S. Navy Kurt Van Slooten
Center for Information Warfare Training
December 29, 2023

On December 22, 2023 ... Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Corry Station held a graduation ceremony for its first group of Sailors from the Computer Network Operator Qualification Course (CNOQC) taught for the first time on Corry Station.

The cyber students, who began training on July 10, 2023, included enlisted Cyber Warfare Technicians (CWT), as well as three officers of the new Maritime Cyber Warfare Officer (MCWO), 1880 officer designation.

“Your time here as pioneers in this training marks the beginning of a journey in which you will daily impact military objectives around the globe,” said Cmdr. Peter Manzoli, commanding officer IWTC Corry Station. “We are so very proud of all of you and wish you continued success as you are challenged and grow in a dynamic landscape that is unlike all others.”

CNOQC is the first step in the Future Operator Readiness, Growth and Enrichment (FORGE) pipeline that provides basic level training for offensive cyber operations to create to Interactive On-Net (ION) operators.

Manzoli explained, that through the vision of Naval Information Forces and the Center for Information Warfare Training, IWTC Corry Station was afforded the opportunity teach the CNOQC curriculum. This has allowed for improved readiness timelines and operational capacity by identifying candidates, mentoring them, and instructing the tenets of basic offensive cyber operations at a critical time in the history.

“IWTC Corry Station offering and graduating its first CNOQC students represents the maturation of 24 months of coordination, Navy investment, and IW (Information Warfare) community leadership,” said Manzoli.

After graduating, the enlisted CWT graduates will be transferring to Fort Meade to complete the remaining four FORGE courses (FORGE 201-FORGE 501), which should take around 11 months.

The MCWOs will stay at IWTC Corry Station for a bit longer to complete the Cyber Operations Planner Course (COPC) during the first two months in 2024.

“COPC trains Sailors to fulfill the cyber planner role on a cyber team,” said Cyber Warfare Technician Senior Chief Michael Turano. “Along with learning traditional military operational planning in the cyber domain, it also discusses how the Cyber Mission Force is organized and works in a joint environment.”

Turano continued, saying that COPC will help the MCWOs to get a gain a better understanding of how operations are planned and executed, which will be necessary as officers on those teams.

After completing COPC, the MCWOs will be moving on to Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Georgia to complete their remaining FORGE courses.

With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT trains more than 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, cyber warfare technicians, intelligence specialists, information systems technicians, electronics technicians, and officers in the information warfare community.

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