Capt. Nick Andrews, commanding officer of Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT), visited the Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Monterey, July 12-13.

Andrews' site visit was to meet with staff and students and to ensure IWTC Monterey, as a reporting training command to CIWT, has everything it needs to support the CIWT vision: "To be the Navy's principle cutting-edge training organization that rapidly meets fleet requirements by providing graduates prepared to fight and win across all aspects of information warfare."

This was his first visit to IWTC Monterey since assuming command, May 24. During the visit, Andrews held detailed discussions with IWTC Monterey leadership, toured barracks and facilities and met with Presidio of Monterey executives.

"I had no idea the Defense Language Institute was so complex," said Andrews. "I was told how intense CTI [cryptologic technician (interpretive)] training is when taking command of CIWT. It's one thing to hear it, though, and another thing to see it."

Andrews took advantage of the opportunity to present a handful of Sailors with his command coin for outstanding achievements. He then held an informal discussion over lunch with a group of top student Sailors selected by their superiors. They touched on various topics, including his perspective on the operations in which these students will eventually be engaged.

"I can draw a line from the work you do directly to decisions that are made at the upper level," shared Andrews. "It is very impactful what you do."

Seaman Alyson Precie, a prospective CTI studying Russian, appreciated getting better insight on where future linguists fit into the bigger picture.

The lunch was followed by a visit to one of the institute's many foreign language schoolhouses, where Andrews was able to experience the environment first-hand where his Sailors learn the foreign language skills that are so critical to fleet and national operations.

IWTC Monterey, as part of the Center for Information Warfare Training, provides a continuum of foreign language training to Navy personnel, which prepares them to conduct information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.

For more on Information Warfare Training Command Monterey, visit www.netc.navy.mil/centers/ciwt/IWTCmonterey/ and www.monterey.army.mil/Service_Units/IWTC_Monterey.html, or find them on Facebook.

For more news from Center for Information Warfare Training, visit www.navy.mil/, www.netc.navy.mil/centers/ciwt/, www.facebook.com/NavyCIWT, or www.twitter.com/NavyCIWT.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.