San Diego, California - Nine students from Barbados, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Suriname, and Taiwan graduated from the International Maritime Intelligence Course (IMIC) at Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) San Diego, May 3.

IMIC is an unclassified course designed to provide foundational intelligence training to international junior officers in the equivalent grade of O1-O4. Upon completion, trainees should be able to provide intelligence support to naval operations and planning in both afloat and ashore environments. Additionally, the U.S. State Department coordinates with IWTC San Diego to highlight American culture via field trips around Southern California during the students’ time in the U.S.

“This was a very positive experience, and will build our capability in intelligence and building scenarios,” remarked Lt. Mohammed Al Hamdan of the Royal Saudi Navy. “Working with students from other countries was also good, and it was great for us to experience the culture of the U.S. and California”.

“This was the first time that a student from Barbados attended this course, so I came in with a very open mind and tried to learn as much as I could,” added Lt. Troy Bridgeman from the Barbados Defense Force. “I will try to enhance my day-to-day routine as well as the products we create to support our command”.

More than 25 students, primarily international intelligence officers, graduate from the three-week course each year.

“My favorite part about teaching IMIC is that I’m learning about multiple countries at the same time,” said Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Melinda Galang, who instructs IMIC at IWTC San Diego. “Students in the course are a blank canvas since course content is brand new to them, so there’s immense development as it pertains to the students’ grasp of maritime domain awareness”.

IWTC San Diego, as part of the Center for Information Warfare Training, provides a continuum of training to Navy and joint service personnel that prepares them to conduct information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.

With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT is recognized as Naval Education and Training Command’s top learning center for the past three years. Training over 21,000 students every year, CIWT delivers trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services. CIWT also offers more than 200 courses for cryptologic technicians, intelligence specialists, information systems technicians, electronics technicians, and officers in the information warfare community.