On July 23, 2021, Captain Christopher R. Kopach was relieved by Captain Brian A. Harding as Commander Naval Information Warfare Training Group.  Captain Harding’s biography follows:

Captain Brain A. Harding, USN
Commander, Naval Information Warfare Training Group

Captain Harding is a native of Virginia Beach, VA. He enlisted in the Navy in 1988, promoted to Chief Petty Officer in 1997 and was commissioned an Ensign via Officer Candidate School in 1998.

CAPT Harding began his Cryptologic Warfare Officer career at the Naval Security Group Activity Menwith Hill, located in Harrogate, England. While there he served as operations watch officer and completed direct support officer deployments in the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Gulf. His next tour was at the Naval Security Group Activity Rota, Spain and performed duties as Special Evaluator onboard the Navy EP-3E, and was assigned as Operations Officer until reassignment as NSGA Rota, Executive Officer.

In 2005, he returned to the United States and was assigned to the USS Iwo Jima as the SSES Division Officer. His next tour in 2007 was at the Naval Information Operations Command Bahrain as Executive Officer. In 2008 he served on the staff of Naval Network Warfare Command. In May 2010 he was assigned to U.S. SEVENTH Fleet Staff as Intelligence Collection Manager and Cryptologic Resources Coordinator. In 2012 he was assigned as the Information Warfare Officer Junior Officer detailer. In 2014 he was assigned as Team Lead for a Navy Cyber Unit in Hawaii.

Most recently he has completed a tour at U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / U.S TENTH Fleet as the N39 Directorate head, a Command tour at NIOC Whidbey Island, a Joint Tour at Cryptologic Warfare Group Six, and graduated the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force base.

His personal awards include Defense Military Service Medals, Meritorious Service Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various unit and service awards.