Sailors assigned to Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) Site Fort Meade participated in a naval heritage event at Arlington National Cemetery, Nov. 18.

Timothy Frank, a cemetery naval historian for the Department of the Army, led them on a guided tour which also included members of the National Archives and Records Administration and the U.S. National Park Service.

"The opportunity to have a behind-the-scenes tour of Arlington National Cemetery so close to Veterans Day was a truly moving experience," said Petty Officer 1st Class John Meyer, Defense Language Institute Washington, D.C., liaison.

The cemetery is the final resting place for more than 400,000 active-duty service members, veterans, and their family members.

The CIWT group attended the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and visited places with naval significance including the USS Maine Mast Memorial; the memorials for USS Monitor and Space Shuttle Challenger; and the graves of the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Delbert Black, and Rear Adm. Robert Peary, an American explorer credited with discovering the North Pole.

"It was such an amazing experience to be standing in the amphitheater where I saw the president address the nation only days prior, thanking service members past and present for their sacrifices," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Brianna Bean.

Senior Chief Petty Officer Trevor Fells, CIWT Site Fort Meade's director, said the experience provided his staff and students attending the Apprentice Cryptologic Language Program with a unique opportunity to explore military history and heritage and connect to those who have gone before.

"We greatly appreciate the enthusiasm and desire to learn that CIWT Sailors brought to Arlington," said Frank. "They asked many insightful questions that really showed a commitment to preserving and carrying forward our country's military heritage."

CIWT, with headquarters at Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station, delivers information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services, enabling optimal performance of information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.

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