I've caught some RUMINT that there is an Enlisted Information Warfare Specialist warfare designator in the works. So far all I have seen are some public memos and professional development publications that stress the need for a specific IW qualification, but nothing concrete about trials or approval. Does anybody have anything solid on this?
Not sure that would fly so well. Each fleet has their own criteria on I&W. C2F was pretty strict, we were always training even in the yards. PACFLT's training was about as strenuous as flipping between CNN and FOXnews.
Seems to me that that would make the warfare pin a boon to the community, bring the entire community in line and so on. Plus it would help out sailors like CTNs who don't have any sea billets at all. At least, that's the hope.
If it is true, the one who writes the course has his work cut out for him. Most of the information will have to be cut or generalized due to different AOR's and certain countries selling equipment to other countries, so on and so forth...
But really it sounds to me like someone feels they aren't getting enough recognition being part of the super secret squirrel society. That was part of the allure for me, no one knew what you did or even had an inclination what your job entailed. I think a warfare pin for intel would do to the intel community as the trident did to the SEAL community. Everyone is going to want to know your business.
It may draw attention, yes. On the other hand, the SEALS have had their trident for years. At this point the trident has become mostly a symbol of bad-@$$ery. I remember hearing the same thing from my parents (some 17+ years ago) about the SW pin. Something along the lines of "Wanting to have a shiny pin like the bubbleheads".
I just don't think the intel community warrants their very own special pin, just don't make sense. I mean, what's the Navy trying to do, be like the Air Force? They have a pin for everything.
makes sense an I brancher would want a pin. We had CTIC "Captain America" Bishop onboard. Thought he could do every job in the intel field. Until he looked over at me and started trying to tell me how to do my job. Then I got up out of my chair and offered it to him. That shut him up.
I think each person should go to sea and earn they're pin.
NOW...
I know that not all ratings have abundant sea billets, but like us ABH and BM's with tons of sea duty, we hear it pick your rate pick your fate IE lots of sea duty, from ratnigs with less sea time.
Now that's interesting huh someone on shore probably wanted this. I KNOW CTNS who have been on my ship and earned they're pin TAD, along with hearing that others in that same rating choose not to pick those billet which send them TAD.
Just my few inputs from a dual qualified service member.- If they make a new one I guess ill get triple qualified and still be ahead of the game in that aspect.
Well, I'll go ahead and throw in my own $.02 on the matter.
I think it is important for these "IW ratings" to have a significant milestone for their professional development, and I think that this idea of a warfare pin deserves some consideration.
While these "IW ratings" seem to have more opportunities to earn more warfare pins than seemingly any other rating (how many others can earn Air Crew wings as well as dolphins?) they don't really have one of their own. I should think that these ratings are equally as specialized as SeaBees in their mission, and equally important to the fight, although without the dirt under their nails for the most part.
There are warfare pins out there that are even more specialized than this. Consider the IUSS pin, which is only authorized for STs, and their LDOs/SDOs. Now, is this saying that the Navy is going the way of the Air Force, with specialty pins for every rating? No. But a pin showing professional mastery of a group of ratings is not out of line.
