ASU Offers Credits for Completing Navy’s NARC Training

Photo By Michele Diamond | Logo for Center for Information Warfare Training. (U.S. Navy graphic by Michele Diamond)  

SAN ANGELO, TX, UNITED STATES

06.13.2022

Story by Kurt Van Slooten 

Center for Information Warfare Training

GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Angelo State University (ASU) signed a articulation agreement with the Navy for students and instructors of the Navy Analysis and Reporting Course (NARC) to receive credit toward a degree at ASU.

Under the agreement, students completing NARC training or instructors teaching the course at Information Warfare Training Command Monterey Detachment Goodfellow will receive up to 21 semester credit hours of transfer credit towards a Bachelor of Security Studies degree in Intelligence and Analysis at ASU.

Lt. Cmdr. Mark Wess, Detachment Goodfellow officer in charge, explained ASU has a strong partnership with Goodfellow Air Force Base and has similar agreements with the Air Force and other joint service components for their intelligence courses. Because NARC is one of the only cryptologic courses attended by Navy students that has not been evaluated for college accreditation, Mike McEligot, an instructional systems specialist, approached ASU to see if the university would be willing to accredit the NARC course. McEligot provided unclassified versions of the lesson plans ASU requested for review. After reviewing the curriculum, the accreditors determined that 21 credits would be offered toward their Bachelor of Security Studies in Intelligence and Analysis.

“NARC is taught to National Security Agency standards for apprentice analysis and reporting under the cryptologic training system,” said Wess. “This course is for Sailors that will serve in billets directly involved in the analysis and production portion of the intelligence process. Graduates usually go on to serve in positions within the Navy or other DOD intelligence agencies.”

Wess said that the course instructors, many of whom are attending college courses while assigned at Goodfellow, have already shown interest in the opportunity. He said, once they have gotten a few Sailors through the process and the streamlined the program he is sure that many students and instructors will be interested in pursuing the program.
“ASU is providing them an opportunity to pursue their degrees with recognition of the hard work they put in to build and teach the NARC curriculum,” said Wess.

Another important aspect of the degree program, especially for military students, is that it is offered online so when instructors and students move on from Goodfellow they can continue to pursue their degrees.
“Earlier this year Angelo State was named a National “Military-Friendly School” for the 14th consecutive year,” said Ceci Hernandez, assistant director for transfer and military affiliated programs at ASU. “We take pride in that designation because we really value our military members.”
She said the partnership established with the Navy under the agreement was important to ASU as it was the first time the school had direct ties with the Navy. Hernandez reiterated that Sailors graduating from the Navy’s NARC course who enrolled in the online Bachelor of Security Studies in Intelligence and Analysis would automatically earn 21 hours of upper-level semester credit.

“We are grateful for their hard work and look forward to creating more opportunities for our U.S. Navy military members,” said Hernandez.
ASU encourages Navy students to complete their application for admission to the university and submit official transcripts as early to be considered for ASU distinguished scholarships. Amounts awarded are based on the number of transferable hours and grade point average earned and are renewable based on award criteria.

The university also offers a tuition assistance (TA) scholarship to degree-seeking active duty military to cover courses at ASU. It is intended to cover the cost difference between TA plus all other aid received and the actual cost of tuition and fees for authorized courses; allowing for zero costs to students using TA.

Capt. Marc Ratkus, commander, Center for Information Warfare Training, (CIWT) said this agreement is a win-win for the Navy and for ASU, and hopes many Sailors take advantage of this opportunity to better themselves and the Navy.

With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, Center for Information Warfare Training trains over 26,000 students every year, delivering trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services. Center for Information Warfare Training also offers more than 200 courses for cryptologic technicians, intelligence specialists, information systems technicians, electronics technicians, and officers in the information warfare community.

• Date Taken: 06.13.2022
• Date Posted: 06.13.2022 12:48
• Story ID: 422804
• Location: SAN ANGELO, TX, US