Officer or enlisted, the question is usually the same: how did you end up a cryptologist when you had no idea what it actually meant? What’s your story?
Here’s my story:
I was 21 years old in 1983, living in Detroit, working as a stock boy and dishwasher at a downtown hotel. The economy was collapsing, and every day felt heavier than the one before it. I had been dating my girlfriend for 11 months, and while our relationship was strong and full of hope, my future felt anything but certain. I loved her deeply, yet I couldn’t see a clear path forward—for myself or for us.
In December 1983, Detroit was hit by a winter storm unlike anything I had ever experienced. The temperature dropped to nearly 30 degrees below zero. Pipes burst across the city, including at the hotel where I worked. When the hotel finally shut down, I helped move frozen food out of the freezers, my hands numb from the cold and my mind racing with questions about what came next.
When I finished, I stood outside in that brutal cold and looked across the street at the Federal Building. I knew the military recruiters were inside. I didn’t have a plan—just a feeling that if I stayed where I was, my life would keep shrinking instead of growing. So I crossed the street.
On Monday, January 2, 1984, I walked into that massive building for the first time. The recruiters’ offices were right near the entrance, impossible to miss. The Army and Air Force were on one side, the Marines and Navy on the other. I didn’t weigh my options or compare benefits. I walked into the Navy office because it was closest—and because, in that moment, closeness felt like fate.
I told the recruiter the truth: “I need to get out of Detroit as soon as possible.”
He told me I had to take the ASVAB first.
I took the test that same day, sitting alone in his office. I hadn’t been a great student in high school, but I remembered enough from my basic electronics classes to get by. A few days later, the recruiter called me back. He offered me ET, CTM, or CTR/CTT. The acronyms meant nothing to me, but for the first time in a long while, I felt something I hadn’t felt in months—possibility.
He explained ET. Then CTM. When I asked about CTR/CTT, even he couldn’t fully explain it—only that it required a security clearance. There was mystery in that answer, and somehow that mystery spoke to me. My life already felt uncertain; I decided I could live with a little more unknown if it meant moving forward so I chose CTR/CTT.
That day, I signed the contract. Seven days later—January 9, 1984—I would leave for boot camp.
When I told my girlfriend what I had done, she didn’t hesitate. She supported me completely. On the day I shipped out, she stood there with me, steady and strong, even though both of us knew everything was about to change. I still remember kissing her before stepping onto the bus at MEPS, not knowing when I’d see her again, but knowing I was carrying her love with me.
At Corry Station, training to become a CT, we stayed connected the only ways we could—letters and phone calls. I was young, inexperienced, and far from home, but I could already see a future in the Navy. More than that, I could see her in that future. I didn’t want this journey without her.
One day in March, I was standing at a payphone on the second deck of Building 1082, my heart pounding as I worked up the courage to ask her to marry me. Just as I was about to say the words, the fire alarm blared and everyone had to evacuate the building. The moment vanished in an instant—but somehow, she already knew.
When the all-clear was given, I called her back. This time, nothing interrupted me. I asked her to marry me.
She said yes.
On November 2 1984, I graduated CTR “A” school on board NTTC Corry Station and on the 17th we married in Detroit.
Looking back now, more than four decades later, I realize how fragile and powerful those moments were—how close I came to a very different life, and how a single walk across a frozen street changed everything.
Forty-one years later, we are still married.
The Good Lord has blessed me!
Station HYPO 
16 January 2026 at 17:53
Wonderful story and I’m certain each of us can relate.
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16 January 2026 at 18:18
Good story, the movie Sliding Doors comes to mind!
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16 January 2026 at 21:28
Wow! What a moving story. It inspired me to write mine:
How did I become a Navy CT when I had no idea what it actually meant?
By Jim Valkwitch
It started when I agreed to enlist in the Navy Reserves as a Corpsman having no idea what Corpsman actually meant.
In the spring of 1969 I received a notice from my local Draft Board to report for an Army induction physical. I was 19. I called to inquire on the status of my student deferment, but according to my local Draft Board, I had fallen behind in my college studies. I had attended a year at a 4 year university and then transferred to a junior college. I was considered a freshman for a second consecutive year which nullified a student draft deferment. This was before the first draft lottery. I was told to bring proof of college registration when I reported for the induction physical for possible consideration. Since I was half way through the current semester and too late to get any tuition refund, the draft board postponed induction until the end of the spring semester in June 1969, but didn’t prohibit me from enlisting in another branch of the Armed Services.
America’s involvement in the Vietnam war was escalating causing waiting lists of over a year to enlist in the National Guard or Army and Air Force reserves. The Navy Reserves was the least desirable option due to the 2 year active duty requirement. On my 20th birthday I waited in a quarter mile long line of 18 to 20 year old men at the local Navy Reserve Center. I took the same physical and general aptitude test battery that was administered during my draft induction physical. A Navy Chief Petty Officer then told me the Navy Reserves couldn’t take me. Why? I scored too high on the aptitude test, he said the Navy Reserves wouldn’t be allowed to leave all the ‘dummies’ for the Army. Disappointed I got up to leave. The CPO stopped me and said but, if I agreed to enlist as a Corpsman he could pull some strings and get me in. I didn’t know what a Corpsman was and didn’t want to look stupid by asking. I had no idea what a Navy Corpsman was, but thought ‘how bad could it be?’, and jumped on the opportunity to avoid being drafted into the Army. I was sworn into the Navy Reserves that day. It was a 5 year commitment. First year was attending weekly reserve drills, an abbreviated 2 week boot camp at Great Lakes, and a 2 week training cruise. Then 2 years active duty followed by 2 years of reserve drills.
It was later that evening when celebrating my 20th birthday that someone told me what a Corpsman is. The Marine Corps does not have medics, Navy Corpsman are Marine medics. And worse yet, the 2 year ‘wonder’ Navy Reserve Corpsman would most likely be assigned to Vietnam. I was assigned to a Corpsman training class during the first month of weekly drills. We were shown a training film on the treatment of ‘Sucking Chest Wounds’. Actual black and white battlefield film footage from the Korean War. I got light headed, if it had been in color I would have passed out. I would have rather been an infantryman in combat than shove a wad of gauze into a gaping hole in someone’s chest.
Immediately after that class I sought out my division officer. I told him I didn’t think I could be a Corpsman. I was expecting a reprimand, a reminder that I had agreed to be a Corpsman or even being turned over to the Army. But instead, the Division Officer told me a new division was just starting up at our Reserve Center, the Naval Security Group with the CT; Communications Technician rating. A small group of us were given a brief introduction to International Morse code. I had learned Morse Code as a Boy Scout. We were given a short test on three letters, I think it was A, R, and N. I passed. Then I was asked if I was ever a member of any controversial groups like the Communist Party, SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) etc. and if I had ever used marijuana. No, and No. And that’s how I became a CT, but still didn’t know what it really meant for over a year until entering CT(R) Class A advanced class at NCTC, Corry Station.
Love came into my story also, but differently than yours Mario. After graduating from CTR school in Pensacola I lucked out and got my ‘dream sheet’s’ first choice of assignments for NSGA Taipei, Taiwan. I had became friends with a CT attending HFDF school at Corry who had just returned from 15 months at NSGA Taipei. He gave Taiwan high recommendations, especially for beautiful women; which was probably #1 on most 20 year old’s priority lists. I met one of those beautiful woman and fell in love. She was born in Shanghai, China. Her Mother and Father got her out of Shanghai during the communist siege in 1949 when she was 1 year old. They were the only family members to get out. The ship they were on was hit by communist artillery and barely made it to Taiwan. Towards the end of my tour on Taiwan I told my section Chief of my intentions to marry a foreign national. My clearance was pulled within 15 minutes. I had considered staying in, but was told that it would be unlikely that my clearance would ever be reinstated due to the inability to do a background check on my future wife. I was assigned to a Navy Personnel office at HSA Taipei doing PN work for the last few months of my enlistment. By comparison, PN work was boring compared to what I did in the NSG. I might have stayed in if I could have retained the CT rating, but that was not to be. My wife and I are still together, 54 years in April.
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16 January 2026 at 21:52
I’m sure a lot of people who look at this website probably have an interesting story on how they became a CT/Cryppie Officer. I’m sure the vast majority of us didn’t sit down at the Recruiter’s Office/Classifiers desk and say, “I want to be a cryptologist”. A lot of strange paths that lead us to our destination. I wanted to be an Aviation Boatswain Mate (Handler) and work on a flight deck when I sat down at the Classifier’s desk at MEPS. My other desires were Intelligence Specialist (IS) or Electronic Technician (ET). The Classifier told me my ASVAB scores were high enough to do anything I wanted and he recommended the Nuclear program. After telling him I wanted ABH he said that I couldn’t do that because I was color blind. I then rattled off the other two rates and he said I couldn’t do that either. After asking what I could do, he said “Boiler Technician or Postal Clerk”. I responded with, “I don’t believe the Navy is for me”. After walking out of his office, I hear my name on the PA system telling me to return to the Navy desk. After returning he said, “We have this CTA thing. Not sure what it is but it requires a security clearance”. Over 31 years later, I departed with retirement papers in hand. The last CTA to be selected as a Cryptologic Warfare Warrant Officer.
V/r. CWO5 (Ret)
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21 January 2026 at 17:12
How did I become a CTR.
My story is somewhat different than the norm. In 1959, I enlisted in the Air Force and my capabilities test indicated that I was qualified for mechanical or Radio Operator specialties. After boot camp, I was sent to Keesler AFB and trained as a Airborne/Morse Intercept radio operator. My first assignment was to a unit in
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