Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Whidbey Island’s Commanding Officer, Cmdr. William A. Dodge, congratulated the first cadre of Information Dominance Warfare Officers (IDWO) and Enlisted Specialists (IDWS) in the region at a special pinning ceremony Oct. 22.  Fourteen enlisted personnel and five officers are now authorized to wear the Navy’s newest warfare pin after completing their respective qualification programs.

NIOC Whidbey Island is one of the first commands in the Navy to have a qualified IDWS program after it was approved by its Immediate Superior in Command (ISIC), NIOC Norfolk, Va., in May this year.

For some personnel like Yeoman 1st Class Dana Banta the IDWS warfare pin represented their first opportunity to achieve a warfare qualification. 

“Being a part of the Navy’s newest warfare community is definitely an honor,” said Banta. “The PQS was definitely challenging, but the time and effort I put into finally paid off.”

Command Master Chief Samuel Olmstead, who was also pinned by Dodge, stressed the importance of this new warfare qualification program.

“With all the recent economic challenges and manpower draw-downs our military has experienced recently, it’s all that more important for our Sailors to take advantage of every opportunity to qualify and diversify their professional portfolio,” said Olmstead. “In the end, he with the most pins wins!”

Enlisted personnel wishing to qualify IDWS must complete a rigorous Personal Qualification Standard (PQS) at the 100-, 200-, and 300-level and then sit a board chaired by the Command Master Chief and other qualified personnel.

The IDWO program was made official with the release of NAVADMIN 328/10. Officers are required to complete their community-specific PQS before tackling the IDWO PQS. After completion of the IDWO PQS, officers must then sit an oral board comprised of qualified IDWOs.

The warfare insignia was created to provide a common linkage among the IDC communities and institute a program to identify the Navy’s highly qualified and diversified information dominance professionals according to the Chief of Naval Personnel.

The new officer insignia is a two and three-quarter inches by one and one-eighth inches, gold matte metal pin showing a background of ocean waves, a crossed naval officer’s sword and lightning bolt with a fouled anchor and globe and will also be available in a miniature size.

The enlisted insignia is a two and three-quarter inches by one and one-eighth inches, silver oxidized metal pin showing a background of ocean waves, a crossed naval enlisted cutlass and lightning bolt with a fouled anchor and globe and will also be available in a miniature size.

The IDC was established in October 2009 with the stand up of the office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance (N2/N6) and consists of more than 45,000 Active and Reserve Navy officers, enlisted and civilian personnel from the Intelligence, Information Warfare, Meteorological and Oceanography, Information Professional and Space Cadre communities and associated rates.

NIOC Whidbey Island is an IDC Command that executes Commander 10th Fleet Electronic Warfare and SIGINT analysis, training, certification, planning, execution, target development and augmentation to naval air and surface forces engaged in Information Warfare operations worldwide.

For information about the IDC visit, http://www.npc.navy.mil/Officer/Intelligence_Information/{{PERIOD}}