This reflective essay examines how two decades of U.S. Navy service equipped the author with substantial information technology skills transferable to civilian employment. Drawing on hands-on experience with C4I systems, shipboard networking, and a broad range of communications equipment, the author argues that military IT training provides a strong foundation for a civilian career in information technology. The paper also discusses broader trends in military technology development, the growing role of IT in business and government, and the author's plan to complete a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology as a bridge between military service and a new civilian career.
The information technology skills I acquired through the military are transferable to civilian situations. The 20 years I gave to the military have placed me in a wide variety of situations quite different from what others might encounter in civilian life.
My experience in the U.S. Navy has allowed me to learn new skills in the information technology field, and I have been able to apply them in new situations. The future for me after the military was decided after a careful analysis of the way the military is currently structured and how a projection into the future bodes for me. I know that a career in the information technology field is the best choice for me because of my experiences in the Navy and on the job. It is important for me to continue to grow in this field and learn more when I transfer into the civilian sector.
In 1984, I attended Fire Control school, which provided me with the knowledge and skills of basic electronics theory and basic electronic maintenance. In the Navy, I was trained to operate and configure high frequency (HF), very high frequency (VHF), ultra high frequency (UHF), and satellite secure and non-secure communications equipment. My previous assignments in the Navy included designing, building, and maintaining small to medium-sized networks on board ships. Money and manpower were significant factors in getting these jobs completed.
In addition, I attended Command/Control/Communication/Computer and Intelligence (C4I) system engineering courses. These courses taught me the fundamental understanding of applicable system hardware and connectivity, applicable system software, primary system support organizations, system documentation, and data communications as they relate to intelligence operations. Examples of systems include the shipboard Global Command and Control System-Maritime (GCCS-M), the Advanced Tomahawk Weapons Control System (ATWCS), and Tactical Data Processor (TDP) ship platforms.
While on board, I am known as the "C4I supervisor," serving as a technical advisor on problems that occur in the C4I architecture aboard ships. Examples of the types of problems include: connectivity of ultra high frequency circuits, connectivity of extremely high frequency circuits, connectivity of Unix-based and Microsoft network computers, and connectivity of all routers and switches.
"Officials said that among the devices being hurried into the development pipeline are foliage-penetrating radar sensors, micro-drones, and microwave antipersonnel guns that stun, rather than injure or kill" (Freedberg, 1378). These represent new technologies used for the security, maintenance, and advancement of knowledge for the nation. The list of technologies that emerged from American military research is endless; many of these are now common products, such as the computer mouse, flat-screen displays, night-vision goggles, and satellite global positioning.
"Military R&D driving commercial technology advances"
"IT expanding across business and government sectors"
"Pursuing a B.S. to enter civilian IT workforce"
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