Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Corry Station Cryptologic Technician Collection (CTR) Communication Signals Collection and Processing CTR “A” School course graduated its first new Block Learning construct, March 31, marking a major milestone in the transformation to Ready Relevant Learning (RRL).

The first group of Sailors to participate in the new Block Learning construct are new accession CTRs. The new course, referred to as 460, focuses on the basics of collection operations, to include analytical skills, as well as the tools required to perform these tasks.

"Operators need to adapt to a constantly changing communication environment," said Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 1st Class Richard Pearse, an instructor in the CTR “A” School. "The new course is designed to implement the necessary tools to stay ahead of the curve.”

The 460 course provide the foundations to become a well-prepared analyst in the fleet. This is accomplished through practical exams and in-depth knowledge modules.

"My instructor was great at teaching the practical lessons while explaining complicated concepts in a digestible manner," said Seaman Laura Barnes, a student in the CTR “A” School who was working through practical exams in the classroom. "The practical exams were the most enjoyable portion of preparing us for fleet operations.”

Barnes said that she learned the most from the analytical portion of the course and allowed her to apply all of the knowledge for greater understanding of signals analysis. She also added that the hands-on approach to learning signals analysis provided the students a firmer grasp on the overall topics covered throughout the course.

"This course is the culmination of years of work and countless man-hours, from training managers, instructional support specialists, and the instructors here at IWTC Corry Station schoolhouse, along with input from the fleet to tailor the individual learning objectives to meet the needs of new Sailors assigned to the CTR rating," said Chief Cryptologic Technicians (Collection) Richard Poe, CTR training manager.

Block Learning is the first step in the RRL transformation to a lifelong learning continuum for these Sailors. Training will only be delivered to students who require it for the billet that they are going to fill, thereby minimizing the amount of time required to train to only that which is mission relevant and enhances fleet readiness.

"Sailors receiving instruction in this new manner will be delivered to the fleet armed with the most current knowledge available to perform their jobs at a high level," said Cmdr. Zachary McKeehan, commanding officer of IWTC Corry Station. "I'm very proud of our civilians, Sailors and contractors that contributed to this process and know that IWTC Corry Station will continue to provide the fleet with the best training in the Navy."

IWTC Corry Station is a part of the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT). With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT trains over 20,000 students every year, delivering trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services. CIWT also offers more than 200 courses for cryptologic technicians, intelligence specialists, information systems technicians, electronics technicians, and officers in the information warfare community.

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