KABUL, Afghanistan - Rear Admiral Paul Becker, senior Information Dominance Corps Officer in Afghanistan, presented 12 U.S. Navy Information Dominance Warfare Officers with their qualification insignias on Nov. 23.
“It is very special to be a ‘plank owner’ in this tradition, as it represents the success and achievements of many who have contributed to the fields which comprise the Information Dominance Corps,” said Cmdr. Victor White, a mobilized Information Warfare Officer and Commanding Officer of NR NIOC Orlando.
Rear Adm. Becker noted that the Information Dominance Corps’ establishment by the CNO symbolizes “the elevation of information as a ‘main battery’ of our service’s warfighting capability… and that the information age is about change, and the Information Dominance Corps functionally integrates what was formerly separate communities into a team that provides the Navy with agility to anticipate, respond to, and exploit change.”
Members of the Intelligence, Information Warfare, Information/Network Management, Oceanography and Space Cadre comprise the Information Dominance Corps and are eligible to qualify for the IDWO pin. Earning a warfare pin is the hallmark of achieving a community’s standard for professional excellence and the IDWO is no different. Pin candidates must complete designated qualification standards and demonstrate a professional level of proficiency in their chosen field.
“There were times when I prayed for more hours in the day just to get one additional lesson completed. In a demanding role, time management became the key theme as I attempted to start and complete the qualifications of my IDWO program,” said Lt. Marcus Brown, IJC Information Dominance Center Liaison Officer.
“Receiving this warfare device is a great honor and it signifies the hard work of many people from various backgrounds working together for a common goal within the Information Dominance Corps,” said White.
Working together also came into play before the pinning. With the actual IDWO pin in short supply, IDC members were forced to find a creative solution for their ceremony.
“We created a replica of the IDWO pin in cloth form with the Army ACU material as the background,” said Capt. Daniel MacDonnell, Senior Navy Officer at IJC. “Not only does it make the pinning special, it links the individual with their current IA/MOB assignment here in theater and automatically becomes a collector’s item. The wearing of the patch, while significant, was temporary for the ceremony only. Army and Navy Regulations do not allow sewn on devices on ACU's. However, it will definitely be a keepsake for their shadowboxes and make a great sea story.”