SAN DIEGO –Chief Petty Officer (Select) Todd Leigh, a native of Potosi, Wisconsin, was inspired to join the Navy by family and the tragedy of 9/11.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown |
"My dad was in the Navy for five years,” Leigh said. “When 9/11 happened, the abundance of feelings after that made me want to join and help out. Being from a small town, I wanted to go out and see the world.”
Now, 17 years later, Leigh is stationed with a command responsible for teaching future information warriors the skills required to defend America around the world.
“I’m passing down my experience and my knowledge,” Leigh said. “Training and teaching has always been a passion of mine and now I get to do it in a formal seettitng and pass it down to the junior sailors.”
Leigh, a 2002 graduate of Potosi High School, is a information systems technician operating from the Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) in San Diego.
“Right now I’m an instructor,” Leigh said. “I teach advance network troubleshooting for four different systems.”
Leigh credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Potosi.
“I learned the importance of working hard,” Leigh said. “I came form a blue colar town and I try to bring that work ethic in the Navy.”
IWTC San Diego is just one component that makes up the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) domain, headquartered at Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station, Florida.
Charged with developing the future technical cadre of the information warfare community, the CIWT domain leads, manages and delivers Navy and joint force training to 22,000 students annually. With 1,200 military, civilian and contracted staff members, CIWT oversees about 200 courses at four information warfare training commands, two detachments, and additional learning sites located throughout the United States and Japan.
CIWT is responsible for training enlisted cryptologic technicians, information systems technicians, intelligence specialists, and electronics technicians. CIWT also provides training to cryptologic warfare, information professional, intelligence, and foreign area officers that prepares them to be prepared to wage battle and assure the nation’s success in this burgeoning warfare arena.
There are many reasons to be proud of naval service, and Leigh is most proud of being recognized as Sailor of the Year two times.
“I was really proud,” Leigh said. “I just try to do my job and take care of my sailors. Getting the recognition for all my hard work was surprising and very humbling.”
A key element of the Navy the Nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, according to Navy officials, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Leigh and other sailors and staff know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes serving as a key part of the information warfare community in its mission to gain a deep understanding of the inner workings of adversaries, and developing unmatched knowledge of the battlespace during wartime.
These sailors and staff have a tremendous responsibility in creating war-fighting options for fleet commanders and advising decision-makers at all levels as they serve worldwide aboard ships, submarines and aircraft.
“Serving in the Navy means the world,” Leigh said. “I didn't plan on making this a career but the structure and being able to help people around the world, as well as sailors, really spoke to me. I'm in the service but I use it to serve other people.”
Now, 17 years later, Leigh is stationed with a command responsible for teaching future information warriors the skills required to defend America around the world.
“I’m passing down my experience and my knowledge,” Leigh said. “Training and teaching has always been a passion of mine and now I get to do it in a formal seettitng and pass it down to the junior sailors.”
Leigh, a 2002 graduate of Potosi High School, is a information systems technician operating from the Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) in San Diego.
“Right now I’m an instructor,” Leigh said. “I teach advance network troubleshooting for four different systems.”
Leigh credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Potosi.
“I learned the importance of working hard,” Leigh said. “I came form a blue colar town and I try to bring that work ethic in the Navy.”
IWTC San Diego is just one component that makes up the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) domain, headquartered at Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station, Florida.
Charged with developing the future technical cadre of the information warfare community, the CIWT domain leads, manages and delivers Navy and joint force training to 22,000 students annually. With 1,200 military, civilian and contracted staff members, CIWT oversees about 200 courses at four information warfare training commands, two detachments, and additional learning sites located throughout the United States and Japan.
CIWT is responsible for training enlisted cryptologic technicians, information systems technicians, intelligence specialists, and electronics technicians. CIWT also provides training to cryptologic warfare, information professional, intelligence, and foreign area officers that prepares them to be prepared to wage battle and assure the nation’s success in this burgeoning warfare arena.
There are many reasons to be proud of naval service, and Leigh is most proud of being recognized as Sailor of the Year two times.
“I was really proud,” Leigh said. “I just try to do my job and take care of my sailors. Getting the recognition for all my hard work was surprising and very humbling.”
A key element of the Navy the Nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, according to Navy officials, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Leigh and other sailors and staff know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes serving as a key part of the information warfare community in its mission to gain a deep understanding of the inner workings of adversaries, and developing unmatched knowledge of the battlespace during wartime.
These sailors and staff have a tremendous responsibility in creating war-fighting options for fleet commanders and advising decision-makers at all levels as they serve worldwide aboard ships, submarines and aircraft.
“Serving in the Navy means the world,” Leigh said. “I didn't plan on making this a career but the structure and being able to help people around the world, as well as sailors, really spoke to me. I'm in the service but I use it to serve other people.”