Cadena Relieved by Melichar as IWTG San Diego Commander

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

09.30.2019

Courtesy Story

Naval Information Forces

By Lt. Jin Yong Song, NIWTG San Diego

SAN DIEGO – Naval Information Warfare Training Group (NIWTG) San Diego welcomed a new commanding officer during a change of command held at Admiral Kidd Catering & Conference Center, Naval Base Point Loma on Sep. 19.

Capt. Robert Cadena, Commanding Officer of NIWTG San Diego was relieved by Cmdr. Brad Melichar during the ceremony which was presided over by Capt. Edwin "Begwi" Grohe, NIWTG’s Commanding Officer. Retired Capt. Gary Burnette, formerly commanding officer of NIWTG San Diego’s predecessor, Naval Security Group Activity San Diego, served as the guest speaker.

“The winner of the next war will be the one who, before the first shot is ever fired, wins the information war,” said Burnette in his opening remarks. “Today, the Sailors and civilians of Information Warfare Training Group San Diego are at the forefront of training their shipmates who serve at sea, on how to execute modern day Information Warfare to ensure we win this critical battle.”

In August 2017, Cadena assumed command of Navy Information Operations Command San Diego, which was officially renamed to NIWTG San Diego in April 2018. As the first commanding officer of NIWTG San Diego, Cadena is credited for leading the transition of all training and certification recommendations to Commander, Naval Surface Forces for over 900 completed electronic, cryptologic, and cyber warfare basic phase training events for 78 U.S. Pacific Fleet surface combatants.

A native of Los Angeles, Cadena began his Navy career as a nuclear-trained machinist mate on board the USS Birmingham (SSN 695). In 1998, he graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles through the Enlisted Commissioning Program (ECP) and began his career in the Information Warfare Community when he was re-designated as a cryptologist and was assigned to Naval Station Group Activity, Fort Meade, Maryland. His other assignments include Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Virginia Beach, Virginia; U.S. Fifth Fleet staff in Bahrain; and Cryptologic Warfare Group 6, Fort Meade. In his next assignment, Cadena will return to the National Capital Region.

“Naval Information Warfare Training Group is at the energetic core of the Navy's growing Information Warfare community,” said Cadena as he described the breadth of the command’s achievements during his tenure over the past 26 months. “As technology and modern conflict evolve, this command will continue to set the standard of excellence for training the fleet in signals intelligence, electronic warfare, and cyberspace — successfully preparing Sailors to support the fleet operationally, while also deploying around the globe.”

In his closing remarks, Cadena said he feels extraordinarily privileged to have led the incredibly diverse crew of NIWTG San Diego through the transformative years.

“Your opportunities will be enormous with historic achievements,” Cadena addressed the IWTG team. “I encourage you all to be innovative, think against the grain, be good listeners, and be both candid and compassionate as you develop into the future leaders you’re destined to be.”

The ceremony concluded with a cake cutting and an opportunity to farewell Cadena and welcome Melichar.

IWTG San Diego provides cyber operation, information operations (IO), and electronic warfare (EW) to Naval and Joint Forces and enables improved IO, EW, cryptologic and cyber readiness through fleet training, assessment and augmentation.

NAVIFOR's mission is to provide combat-ready Information Warfare forces to operational commanders, ashore and afloat, that are forward deployable, fully trained, properly manned, capably equipped, always ready, well-maintained and combat sustainable. For more information about NAVIFOR, visit the website http://www.navifor.navy.mil/ and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Forces.

• Date Taken: 09.30.2019
• Date Posted: 09.30.2019 14:59
• Story ID: 344714
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CA, US