By Trishna Buch
About two weeks ago, we placed a press release in The Post with the headline “Texas City Native Defends America Serving As Information Warrior.” Earlier this week, I had a chance to speak to that Texas City native. This article will cover everything I learned from our conversation, as well as bring in certain aspects of the press release.
Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Texas City, Dariel Alicea is, according to the press release, “stationed with a command responsible for teaching future information warriors the skills required to defend America around the world.” When I asked Alicea to further clarify his role and career, he told me that he helps manage the networks and communications of the military. He said: “after military candidates complete their boot camp, they come to CIWT (Center For Information Warfare Training) to complete courses necessary to succeed in their Navy career.”
Alicea told me that, for as long as he can remember, he has been interested in a career in the military. “So I took some computer information classes to set myself up on that path,” he told me. And, after successfully completing a series of exams, courses and physical training, he earned the rank of Petty Officer First Class. “This, I would say, is my biggest accomplishment,”
The command that Alicea is stationed with is the Information Warfare Training Command, which is a component of the CIWT, which is located in Corry Station in Florida. The press release says: “charged with developing the future technical cadre of the information warfare community, the CIWT domain leads, manages, and delivers Navy and joint force training to 22,000 students annually. With 1,200 military, civilian and contracted staff members, CIWT oversees about 200 courses at four information warfare training commands, two detachments, and additional learning sites located throughout the United States and Japan.”
And as for how being a member of the military has affected Alicea, and his family—including his wife, Sabrina—personally? He says: “Being in the military has broadened my horizons. With my career, we live in many different places and this allows us to see the world. It helped me see that there is more to the world than the place I live.”
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