// Officer Designator · O-1 to O-10 · NATO OF-1 to OF-9

CRYPTOLOGIC WARFARE OFFICER (1810)

The IWC community for Navy signals intelligence, electronic warfare, and offensive cyber operations.

Insignia

Designator

1810

Abbreviation

CWO

Community

Restricted Line

Paygrade Range

O-1 to O-10

NATO Range

OF-1 to OF-9

OVERVIEW

The 1810 Cryptologic Warfare Officer (CWO) designator identifies Restricted Line officers in the Navy Information Warfare Community (IWC) who specialize in signals intelligence (SIGINT), electronic warfare (EW), and offensive cyberspace operations. CWOs serve aboard ships, submarines, and aircraft conducting national- and tactical-level cryptologic operations, and on staffs at Fleet Cyber Command, U.S. Cyber Command, the National Security Agency, and the joint cryptologic enterprise.

CWOs are direct-accession officers — they commission directly into the 1810 community via USNA, NROTC, or OCS without first serving in a URL community. After a year of training at the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) Pensacola and the National Cryptologic School at Fort Meade, CWOs report to their first operational tour and earn the Information Warfare device.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead a Navy cryptologic division aboard a ship, submarine, or aviation squadron
Manage signals-intelligence and electronic-warfare missions for a fleet or joint commander
Conduct offensive and defensive cyberspace operations as part of a Cyber Mission Force team
Integrate cryptologic capabilities with the broader Navy and joint warfighting plan

HISTORY

The Cryptologic Warfare Officer designator traces its lineage to the WWII OP-20-G code-breakers and the Cold War Naval Security Group cryptologic community. The current 1810 designator was created in 2010 when the Navy reorganized its Information Warfare Community to combine the formerly separate Cryptologic, Information Professional, Intelligence, and Meteorology/Oceanography communities under a single warfighting umbrella.

CWOs were instrumental in the establishment of U.S. Cyber Command in 2009 and continue to provide a significant share of Navy manning to the joint cryptologic enterprise.

COMMISSIONING SOURCES

USNA
NROTC
OCS
STA-21
Lateral transfer (limited)

TRAINING PIPELINE

1. Information Warfare Basic Course (IWBC)~12 weeks
NAS Pensacola, FL
Joint IWC accession course at Center for Information Warfare Training.
2. Cryptologic Warfare Officer Basic Course (CWOBC)~12 weeks
Fort Meade, MD
National Cryptologic School course on SIGINT, EW, and cyber operations.
3. Joint Cyberspace Operations Planner Course~3 weeks
Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA
Mid-grade course for cyber-operations planning.

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

O-1/O-2
IWBC + first cryptologic tour
Information Warfare Basic Course followed by first sea or expeditionary cryptologic tour.
O-3
Department Head ashore
Department head tour at a Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) or NSA element.
O-4
IWC Department Head sea tour
Cryptologic department head aboard a strike group or major staff.
O-5
Major Cryptologic Command
Command of a Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC).
O-6
Senior IWC Command
Command of a Navy Information Operations Group or major Fleet Cyber Command staff.

RELATED DESIGNATORS

RELATED BASES

How to address

Same as the underlying officer rank — e.g., "Lieutenant Smith." Community addressed as "CWO" or "1810" in writing.

Prerequisites

Direct commission via USNA, NROTC, or OCS into the 1810 community
Successful completion of the Information Warfare Basic Course at Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT)
Successful completion of the Cryptologic Warfare Officer Basic Course at the National Cryptologic School
Maintain Top Secret/SCI clearance with polygraph

Common assignments

Ship's Cryptologic Resource Coordinator aboard a destroyer, cruiser, or carrier
Cryptologic Officer at Fleet Cyber Command (Fort Meade, MD)
Cryptologic team lead at the National Security Agency
Cyber Mission Force team officer

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The 1810 designator identifies a Restricted Line officer in the Cryptologic Warfare community — the Navy's signals-intelligence, electronic-warfare, and offensive-cyber community within the Information Warfare Community (IWC).

CWOs (1810) focus on offensive cryptologic and cyber operations — SIGINT, EW, and CNO. Information Professionals (1820) focus on Navy networks, communications, and defensive cyberspace operations.

Most CWOs rotate between fleet cryptologic billets afloat, joint billets at Fort Meade (NSA, CYBERCOM, Fleet Cyber Command), and Navy Information Operations Commands ashore.

SOURCES

Last updated 2026-05-02

All Officer Designators Full Rank Structure