Cryptology ~ CTI ~ CTM ~ CTN ~ CTR ~ CTT ~ CWT Corry Station Pensacola Florida and Monterey California

Welcome!.. We are the Cryptology group! We are committed to helping the sailors and family members of "Spooks".  Spooks are what sailors call the CTI, CTN, CTT, CTR, CTM in the fleet.   Come join the gang!

And the newest rating - CWT - Cyber Warfare Technician.

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  • boilermom

    Hi Kelliann, 

    My son went to A school at Corry, C school at Goodfellow in San Angelo, TX and has been in Misawa, Japan for 2 1/2 years now.

  • CTmomof3

    My son an E5 will pcs to San Diego from Maryland in a few months. He'll be on a ship for the next 3yrs. He's a CTR. My question is, being on ship duty will this affect his career? My other son (ctr also)was always direct support. He would deploy for a specific mission. Never assigned to a ship. I obviously don't know how thing work. But do they do their "job" when not deployed? Also he currently has an apt. In San Diego what are the living arrangements, barrack,ship or. Apts?
  • sammy1990

    my sailor pcs's to San Diego in Feb. he's looking for an apartment/roommate. he's not assigned to a ship though. not sure how that would work.
  • navymom3

    When CT are assigned to a ship they go out on the ship when it goes out. But when it is docked there is a shop they work in. It will not effect his career as he has to do sea duty. He will not be required to live on the ship as he is e5. My son is also PCS to San Diego in a few months but he is CTM and coming from Japan. His wife just got out and was in San Diego this last year. The love it there. And she had an apt. There is some military housing areas but they don't have to live in them. 

  • navymom3

    Wow Sammy sounds like San Diego is the place to go. Where is your sailor now?

  • sammy1990

    he's coming from norfolk. there were a lot of places to choose from, including staying in norfolk. but he figured, if the navy wants to pay, he'd do 3 years across the country. if you hear of ppl looking for roommates, let me know!
  • CTmomof3

    Thanks for the info. Not sure what my sons actual date is. he just got told his orders last week. So not the..final.. ones. Some time after Jan. is all I know.  I've always wanted to visit San Diego.  However I'm use to having both my boys within a 5 hr drive.  So this will change.  :(

  • navymom3

    sammy what rate is your son?

  • sammy1990

    ctn.
  • PrincessShannon

    Hello to you all! Greetings from Grants Pass Oregon..my son just left 11/24/2014 for boot camp somewhere in Great Lakes Chicago...I don't really understand what his eventual job will be but I think it is CTN but not totally sure. He will go to A school in Florida. Just wanted to introduce myself, feel free to send me a friend invite...I would like to connect with other mom's out there who are going through the same thing.  This is my second son to move away from home, the other is not in the military but still...I have one more son (17) to go, he graduates this summer..and then our only daughter (14) she has 4.5 yrs to go

  • Tuttismimi Ship 11 Div 154

    Any moms of CTT's on here??
  • CryptoDad

    Merry Christmas from USS Momsen,

  • CryptoDad

    FYI -  That's the the door to the Special Signals Exploitation Space (SSES), home of the Secret Squirrels.

    Don't even ask what goes on in there.

  • idahojeep

    Cool CryptoDad.  I wondered what the doors looked like.  heh heh....

  • idahojeep

    Well #1 CTR son is out of the navy and #2 CTR son is off to Whidbey after next week. They enjoyed Japan but did not like ship life that well.  #2 reenlisted and got DIR SUP at Whidbey.  Passed his school beginning of Dec. and is home on leave.  First Christmas with both of them in 4 years!

  • peanutrjc

    Hey all, might be coming to pensecola, fl. we'll see what uncle sam decides. anyway, hows the mil housing? good/bad areas to stay away from? just gimme the details! thanks

  • Bookster

    My son is in Pensacola waiting to class up to CTM- what can we expect? ( he has been there since Nov.28)

  • harpist mom

    When he graduated from boot camp almost three years ago, my son, a CTM, waited about 2 months in Pensacola to class up for the basic electronics class. He arrived in P-cola at the beginning of March and his first class began at the end of May. After that four-week class, he waited another month for A school, which he began in August. He graduated in Nov and then went to Pearl Harbor in December. 

  • navymom3

    Bookster my son also CTM waited about as long as Harpist son. Unfortunately your son got the during some of the holiday shutdown so his wait may be a little longer. Just have him enjoy Pcola and make sure he gets all his quals done. Once he starts class he won't have a lot of free time. By the way my son loves his job being a CTM. Just went to his 2nd duty station after being in Japan for 3 years.

  • AuntieB.

    hello again, I just posted a question, I'm not sure where it went..Anyway, my nephew just had his PIR on 1-30-2015.  He is now a CTMSR in Pcola.  I'm wondering if what the next level of support from me should be.  Letters? Care packages?  What to put in Care Packages?  Thank you, B

  • navymom3

    Auntie B there aren't as many CTM as there are other CT jobs. Plus they can't say much of what they do. So if he says I can't tell you that I normally leave it alone then. I did send care packages while my son was at school. However they do not have much storage room. He will have lots of studying to do.

  • harpist mom

    My son is a CTM and went to A school in P-cola. You can send letters, cards and care packages with snacks. It is true that they cannot say much about what they do. My son has been at his duty station two years now, preparing for a deployment, and he says he cannot talk about his job.

  • Bookster

    @harpist- and what does he tell you??  

    This no information thing doesnt bother me.  Government info is government info and I totally respect it, I just wonder if I will be able to tell when he is no longer disclosing his real status.  Do you at least know the actual place he is going or is that also a no? 

  • harpist mom

    He says he is not allowed to provide information for security reasons. 

  • Cindysch319

    Hi to all the other CTM moms! My son is just starting A school today, but has beem in the Navy for over 2 years. His PIR was Nov. 2012. He was deployed with the Kearsarge LHD-3 till september and then ported in Norfolk until about 2 weeks ago. He is looking forward to his CTM rate, but is a little anxious about classes. Glad to read all about A school and about your experiences in supporting your sailors!
  • Bookster

    @cindy. That is so interesting! I thought you had the PIR year wrong since my sons was november 2014 :-)
    Is he renewing his contract now that he is CTM or only finishing it out? Has he said how class was today? I have not spoken to my son yet today.
  • Cindysch319

    He couldn't say too much, only that they couldn't do much because they did not have their individual computer accounts set up yet. I talked to him during lunch break. Sounded like everything was going well, so far...
  • CryptoDad

    SCIF - Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility

    HA! The only thing my CTR has told me about her work space aboard ship, the SSES, is that they have a disco ball hanging from the overhead.

  • barbara the artist's mom

    Just wondering if after the Navy service is there any where trained as a CTR could be used in the civilian world?

  • Craig

    Barbara - we can't hire enough CTR's. Any major contractor needs them. Just go to www.clearancejobs.com and search "SBI" or look for "Signals Analyst".
  • idahojeep

    Craig thanks for that link.  One of my twin CTRs is out as of last Sept. and it appears that many of those jobs require BS or Masters.  Pretty hard to have gotten that and still have an active TS/SCI clearance if you only were in 4 years.  Any other thoughts?  

    I do have a friend who just left L-3 Communications after 12 years and my son is meeting an HR rep from that company.

  • Craig

    He needs to double check. Most will say a BS, however it will say xx in lieu of a degree. Have him check RayJobs.com. They just had a big hiring effort. In the meantime, I'm betting he didn't complete his 5 year update prior to getting out. He needs to take a part time job, even as a janitor, to keep that access active. With most companies he wouldn't be in it for long since he then can apply for internal reqs. He also might want to consider active reserves. It's a great gap filler while looking for a job...
  • KLSchisler

    Hi there, my husband is wanting to cross rate to the Cryptology world but unsure which exact rate. Hes favoring CTMs right now. My questions are #1 Would the family be able to move with him? I know you go to school in Florida but not sure if hes able to take us with him.  #2 What are the deployments like? We are on a submarine (boomer) so hes only deployed for a few months at time. I have no idea what the deployment schedules are like for a surface ship, even more so as a CTM, or CTR, CTN, etc. #3. What rate would you recommend? We were looking into CTN but heard its difficult and theres no reenlistment bonus for zone A but you hardly get deployed and live in Japan, Hawaii, etc which would be nice is that true? Any helpful tips or advice would be much appreciated!

  • Bookster

    I would love the answer to that as my son is CTM and I have no idea what length to expect the deployments to be.
  • navymom3

    My son is CTM and on his 2nd duty station San Diego. His first one was Japan but he choose Japan since he finished 1st in his class and got to choose. He was DIRSUP which counted as sea duty but wasn't at sea all the time. He was assigned to a ship for the first 1 1/2 yr and went out when they did. Usually a month or 2 at a time. But spent most of the time he worked in a shop. CTM don't have to live on the ship they just go out when the ship goes out. Otherwise working in a shop is all I know. As they can't tell you everything they do. Mine did have a 6 moth deployement but don't know where he went just know he was out at sea. I know he loves his job most of the time.

  • JHubby

    My wife is CTI and the CTI that briefed her said she has spent a mere 22 weeks at sea in her 16 year career. If he can test into CTI, there are volumes of opportunity outside of the military being fluent in multiple languages. Oh, and last I checked, reenlistment was $75k and advancement is pretty good as it is in any CT field.

  • WifeofaUSsailor

    My husband is here in Pensacola now waiting for CTN school to start. He said a lot of people say it's hard but worth it. We are getting BAH (housing allowing) and I live in an apartment off base but I'm not allowed to live on base. My uncle was also a CTN and was stationed in both Hawaii and Japan for a while. He had a great career and got a six figure job after his 26 year career in the Navy as a CTN.
  • KLSchisler

    Wow thanks everyone for all the wonderful feedback! I don't think my husband will qualify with CTI since I guess he didn't pass that test? Not sure. He is interested in CTN but his friend is in the school now and said he never got a reenlistment bonus for zone A is that true? CTNs don't get a zone A reenlistment bonus?
  • KLSchisler

    Did the navy move you to FL to be with your husband while he's in CTN school?
  • JHubby

    The CTI's have to take the DLAB. It's a test that you have to request to take, since I believe it is linked only to that rate. It's not a hard test, but they only give it to people interested in CTI since it tests one's capacity to learn different categories of languages From Spanish to Mandarin. My wife was assigned Arabic, so we'll be stationed in Augusta after A-School in Monterey.
  • harpist mom

    My son has been a CTM for over two years. His duty station has been at Pearl Harbor during that time. He is currently on an eight-month deployment on a destroyer which left Hawaii on February 14th.

  • Bookster

    @clockard- that is pretty amazing.  How great that after being in the service they really can find jobs.  Two of my nephews served in the Army and just seem to be floating from job to job.  Breaks my heart how you can serve and then have nothing to show for it.  

  • harpist mom

    Dee, Wishing your son all the best as he embarks on the next step in his career!

  • Shoeysmom

    Help? My Sailor just graduated DLI but fell short on DLPT for rate of CTI. Facing reclass. Any suggestions for direction to take. Petty Officer wants to recommend to remain in cryptology. Any comments from all you veteran Navy Moms?
  • Shoeysmom

    Thank you Dee and thank your DIL too please!!
  • calliecl

    Not sure if anyone might know the answer or if Craig is still active in this group?? My son was a CTT in the navy, had a top secret clearance has since retired and attending college. He would like to pursue a similar job (CTT)!on the civilian side but unsure what would be the best major. Any ideas?
  • cinder

    Most people are on Facebook now and I see Craig is there. I suggest you post your question there
  • calliecl

    I bowed out of the FB group -a little too much drama for me. He decided to do International Studies and working with some local veterans groups along with military department at his college. They've been very helpful.
  • Momof9

    Hi, I'm a new  boot camp mom looking for other moms of sr going into ctr. Mine just got there the night of the 7th. Was hoping to find some other moms that may end up with the same PIR. This site has been such a blessing. 

  • Stef

    Hi all, my son is in P'Cola for CTT, would this be the right board? I didn't realize it was here for some reason. /= We went and saw him last week, he has been there since March 14th.