Information Technology Competencies for Navy Enlisted Personnel.

The military is experiencing rapid advances in technology that have the potential to revolutionize the way wars are waged. Information Technology IT is gaining momentum as the emerging force in modern warfare. To date, much has been spent on new hardware but training and education for this new hardware has been overlooked. In particular, the U.S. Navy has embarked on an ambitious modernization program known as Information Technology for the 21st Century IT-21. IT-21 promises to implement an enterprise-wide information infrastructure, but it does not identify who will support this infrastructure. This thesis argues that such an effort is futile unless a properly trained and educated cadre of IT support personnel is created. It specifies the minimum level of IT training required, the degree of specialization needed, and the functional competencies IT specialists should have. Finally, it addresses the issue of whether or not a new set of IT ratings should be developed.