Information Systems Technician (United States Navy)
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Information systems technician (IT) is a rating for
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
and
United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
enlisted personnel, specializing in communications technology. Information systems technician submarines (ITS) is a rating for U.S. Navy submariners. The Information systems technician (IT) rating corresponds to the new Navy Occupational Specialty (NOS) code B460 while the information systems technician submarines (ITS) rating corresponds to Navy Occupational Specialty (NOS) code C260. ''Information systems technician'' is a U.S. Navy and Coast Guard specific job, also known as an enlisted rating (often called
MOS MOS or Mos may refer to: Technology * MOSFET (metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor), also known as the MOS transistor * Mathematical Optimization Society * Model output statistics, a weather-forecasting technique * MOS (filmm ...
by other armed services). The other U.S. Armed Forces have similar positions, but with different titles utilized ( information technology specialist in the U.S. Army, data network specialist in the U.S. Marine Corps) Information systems technicians design, install, operate, and maintain state-of-the-art information systems. This technology includes
local Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States * Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...
and
wide area network A wide area network (WAN) is a telecommunications network that extends over a large geographic area. Wide area networks are often established with leased telecommunication circuits. Businesses, as well as schools and government entities, us ...
s, mainframe,
mini The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during ...
and
microcomputer A microcomputer is a small, relatively inexpensive computer having a central processing unit (CPU) made out of a microprocessor. The computer also includes memory and input/output (I/O) circuitry together mounted on a printed circuit board (PC ...
systems and associated
peripheral A peripheral or peripheral device is an auxiliary device used to put information into and get information out of a computer. The term ''peripheral device'' refers to all hardware components that are attached to a computer and are controlled by the ...
devices. They also write programs to handle the collection, manipulation and distribution of data for a wide variety of applications and requirements. They perform the functions of a computer system analyst, operate
telecommunications systems Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...
including automated networks and the full spectrum of data links and circuits. The IT rating is one of the most diverse ratings in the US Navy. The IT rating was created in 1998 from a combination of two previous Navy ratings -
radioman Radioman (RM) was a rating for United States Navy and United States Coast Guard enlisted personnel, specializing in communications technology. History of the rating The rating was created originally in 1921. In 1997, under the direction of Chi ...
(RM) and data processing technician (DP). A third rating, cryptologic technician communications (CTO) merged with IT in October, 2005. In February 2010, the IT rating was incorporated into the
Information Dominance Corps The U.S. Navy Information Warfare Community (IWC) leads and manages a cadre of officers, enlisted, and civilian professionals who possess extensive skills in information-intensive fields. This corps works in information, intelligence, counterintel ...
.


Schooling

IT candidates attend "A" school at Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida. Schooling is instructor led, using a computer-based learning system. The schooling can also be taught digitally by the software Acuitus, where you are self paced and learn from modules. The Marine radio operator and data systems school is located at MCESS 29 Palms, California and Army computer systems school is located at
Fort Gordon Fort Gordon, formerly known as Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cyber Command, and the Cyber Center of Excellence. It ...
, Georgia.


History of the IT rating

The combining of ratings in the Navy has been in place since 1990. There were many combination of both engineering and operation ratings to best fit the class of ship. Many duties of the IT rating are still evolving. The radioman (RM) and data processing technician (DP) ratings were merged in November 1998, keeping the radioman name. In November 1999 the rating was re-designated information systems technician. Both radiomen and data processing technicians in the Navy had to undergo general rate training and take a computer-based exam in order to be designated under the new IT rating (the radiomen found themselves bound to a serious learning curve because they had to learn every single aspect from the data processing technician rating) whereas to the data processing technicians, most of them already had a general knowledge in basic computer fundamentals and maintenance. In 1996 the submarine force merged radioman with electronics technicians and electronic warfare specialist. The ITS rating for submarines was created in December 2010.Submariners Get New Information Systems Technician Rating
Press release, Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs, U.S. Navy. 12/20/2010. Retrieved 2012-07-16. The Coast Guard radioman (RM) rating was renamed telecommunications specialist (TC) in 1995, which split in 2003 to make up the information system technician (IT) and
operations specialist Operations Specialist (abbreviated as OS) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed ...
(OS) ratings. The Coast Guard telephone technician (TT) rating was also merged into the IT rating in 2003; the TT rating device of a telephone handset over the globe became the rating device for the Coast Guard IT rating.


Warfare qualifications

While there is a community-specific Information Dominance Corps warfare qualification for ITs, the IT rating is one of the few ratings that can qualify in all aspects of naval warfare, such as: *
Aircrew Aircrew, also called flight crew, are personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of a flight's crew depends on the type of aircraft, plus the flight's duration and purpose. Commercial aviation Flight deck positions ...
- responsible for the operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of the radios, computers, antennas, networking, and cryptographic equipment on
TACAMO TACAMO (Take Charge And Move Out) is a United States military system of survivable communications links designed to be used in nuclear warfare to maintain communications between the decision-makers (the National Command Authority) and the t ...
and AWACS missions. *
Seabee United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Force (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Depending upon ...
*
Surface warfare Modern naval warfare is divided into four operational areas: surface warfare, air warfare, submarine warfare, and information warfare. Each area comprises specialized platforms and strategies used to exploit tactical advantages unique and inhe ...
- responsible for maintaining communication links, troubleshooting radio and computer equipment, satellite communications, cryptographic equipment, and is responsible for the administration of the shipboard LAN, WAN links, and servers/networking equipment. *
Expeditionary Warfare Expeditionary warfare is a military invasion of a foreign territory, especially away from established bases. Expeditionary forces were in part the antecedent of the modern concept of rapid deployment forces. Traditionally, expeditionary forces w ...
*
Fleet Marine Force The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are combined general- and special-purpose forces within the United States Department of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment. The Fleet ...
- responsible for landing after the Marines have secured an area to set up fleet communications, networking, and cryptographic equipment to support joint communications within a battlefield environment. This includes configuring
JWICS The Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communication System (JWICS, ) is the United States Department of Defense's secure intranet system that houses top secret and sensitive compartmented information. JWICS superseded the earlier DSNET2 and DSNET3, th ...
,
Defense Message System The Defense Message System or Defense Messaging System (DMS) is a deployment of secure electronic mail and directory services in the United States Department of Defense. DMS was intended to replace the AUTODIN network, and is based on implementati ...
, and
AUTODIN The Automatic Digital Network System, known as AUTODIN, is a legacy data communications service in the United States Department of Defense. AUTODIN originally consisted of numerous AUTODIN Switching Centers (ASCs) located in the United States and ...
communications in order for combatants to maintain command communications and control superiority. * Submarines


See also

*
List of United States Navy ratings United States Navy ratings are general Enlisted rank, enlisted Job (role), occupations used by the United States Navy, U.S. Navy since the 18th century, which denote the specific skills and abilities of the sailor. Each naval rating has its own ...


References

{{Reflist
Information Systems Technician (IT)
Navy Enlisted Occupational Standards for IT. Retrieved 2012-07-16.
Information Systems Technician Submarines (ITS)
Navy Enlisted Occupational Standards for ITS. Updated: January 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-16. Military supporting service occupations United States Navy ratings United States Coast Guard job titles