Sailors from Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) San Diego participated in the laying of wreaths at Miramar National Cemetery, Dec. 14.

The cemetery was dedicated by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2010 and occupies 313 acres on Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. MCAS Miramar has a rich history of hosting military operations that dates back to the 1930s, and served as Naval Air Station Miramar until 1997.

"As a volunteer, our main job was to provide security for specific gravesites that families requested to visit,” shared Cryptologic Technician (Collections) 1st Class Craig Bowen II. “It was a great opportunity to provide that for them, especially understanding the values that are represented by the process of laying wreaths where our fallen brothers and sisters now lie.”

Many of the sites that were manned by IWTC San Diego Sailors are now home to service members who passed away in the last year. Standing with families as they visited their fallen loved ones for the first time during the holiday season made a powerful impact on several participants.

“This was really rewarding for me," added Bowen, and he also noted that he will encourage his shipmates to participate next year.

The event was hosted by Wreaths Across America, which partners with companies and organizations around the country to provide wreaths for fallen service members at more than 1,400 locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad. Wreaths Across America’s mission touches the lives of thousands of school, scout, civic and religious groups across the country through fundraising for wreath sponsorships. Officials from Wreaths Across America commented during the event that the service of even more volunteer Sailors from around the San Diego area is needed next year, particularly at the Miramar National Cemetery.

“I would encourage any service member thinking of attending this event in the future to consider how they would feel if they came to this event to place a wreath on the grave of their loved one and were greeted by an active duty service member who was waiting for them,” said Master Chief Information Systems Technician Terrence Ingram, who serves as IWTC San Diego’s senior enlisted leader. “Because of my attendance at this event, I plan to arrange for my family to place wreaths on the graves of my father and his two older brothers interred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.”

IWTC San Diego, as part of the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT), provides a continuum of training to Navy and joint service personnel that prepares them to conduct information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.

With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT is recognized as Naval Education and Training Command’s top learning center for the past three years. Training over 20,000 students every year, CIWT delivers 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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