Cryptologic technician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cryptologic Technician | |
|---|---|
 Rating insignia |
|
| Issued by: United States Navy | |
| Type | Enlisted rating |
| Abbreviation | CT |
| Specialty | Technical |
Cryptologic Technician (CT) is a United States Navy enlisted rating or job specialty. The CT community performs a wide range of tasks in support of the national intelligence effort, with an emphasis on cryptology and signal intelligence related products.
Most CT personnel are required to obtain and maintain security clearances. Due to the highly classified work environment, it is not always possible to share resources with other commands. Almost every detail surrounding the CT world from administration to operations to repair requires dedicated technicians with appropriate security clearances (this accounts for the many branches of the CT rating, i.e. CTA, CTI, CTM, CTN, CTR, CTT). The contribution of an individual CT will depend upon the branch or career area.
Members of the CT community enjoy a wide range of career and training options. Once trained, a CT might serve ashore, afloat or in a airborne capacity. (It is rare, but some have earned all three, i.e. dolphins, wings and swords over the course of a career). A CT can expect overseas assignments of lengthy duration.
Contents |
[edit] Specialties
- Administration (CTA) - Administrative and clerical duties that control access to classified material such as Special Security Officer (SSO) or Defense Courier Service (DCS). [No longer active]
- Interpretive (CTI) - Radiotelephone communications and foreign language translation
- Maintenance (CTM)- The installation, servicing and repair of electronic and electromechanical equipment
- Networks (CTN) - CTNs plan and execute computer network operations (CNO) actions/counter-actions in support of defending and exploiting computer network systems.
- Collection (CTR) – Voice/morse communications and operation of radio direction finding equipment
- Synonymous with United States Army job specialty 35S (Signals Collector/Analyst)and Marine MOS 2621
- Technical (CTT) - Non-communications signals intelligence (ELINT), Electronic Warfare Support (ES), Electronic Attack (EA), Electronic Protect (EP), Anti-Ship Missile Defense (ASMD), while a portion perform servicing and maintenance of various related electronic countermeasures systems (i.e., AN/SLQ-32)
[edit] Rating Changes
- 1976 Communications Technician renamed to Cryptologic Technician (name alignment w/officer community).
- On October 1, 2003, Electronic Warfare Technicians (EW) were merged with CTT.
- On October 1, 2007 CTA merged with Yeoman (YN), and Legalman. (there are rumors that CTA might reestablished).
- CTO merged with Information Systems Technician (IT).
- CTM were scheduled to be disestablished in 2008, with certain skill sets converting to Electronics Technician (ET) and Information Systems Technician (IT) billets, this has been set on hold for further planning.
[edit] Notable CTs
- CTA3 James Bamford author and media pundit.
- CT Bob Kelly (1971-), served on active duty from 1989-97 in the regular component of the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the White House during the Clinton administration. Kelly later became a noted author and is considered a subject matter expert on Microsoft Windows.
- CTA3(AW) Norbert Basil MacLean III (1971-), served on active duty from 1989-94 in the regular component of the U.S. Navy and in 1991 was assigned as an aide to Richard Armitage during the George H. W. Bush administration. MacLean later championed equal access to the Supreme Court of the United States for members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
- CTM3 Matthew J. O'Bryant (1986-2008), served on active duty in the regular component of the U.S. Navy from 2007 until his death in 2008. O'Bryant died in the bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan and was the first CTM killed in the Global War on Terrorism.
[edit] The CT and World Headlines
- Gulf Of Tonkin Incident 1964
- USS Liberty Attacked by Israel in 1967
- USS Pueblo Seized by North Korea in 1968
- VQ-1 EC-121 shot down by North Korea in 1969
- VQ-1 EP-3E collides w/PLAN J8II near Hainan Island in 2001
[edit] See also
- DLAB (The test taken to become a CTI)
- List of United States Navy ratings
