Info on Navy AECF or CTN?

Question

Hi all! I am currently in DEP and I am all set to go in as an ACEF. I am happy with this choice but another rate I was considering was CTN. I qualified for both jobs but I chose AECF.

I was trying to find info on CTN but I know its a new rate and there is not a whole lot of info on it out there.

Can anyone share their experiences with either of these rates? What did you like/dislike about it? Are there a lot of advancement opportunities? And is it easy to find a job when you get out of the navy?

Lol sorry for all the questions. Any info will help. TY!

Answer 1

CTN is Secret Squirrel stuff, so there is almost no information available.

Think of it as anti hacking: preventing the bad guys from hacking into our networks.  

Answer 2

Well currently I am in DEP as well but I do know that CTN is one of the fast advancing fields just like Nuke but if you like your rate you should stick with it.  And think about it this way, CTN hacks, provides counter-intelligence, and programs weapons and missile systems.  So after the military you could probably join a government law enforcement agency or a computer company.  I leave on the third of September this year.  I qualified for every job in the Navy but decided to choose CTN. The reason that there is not a lot of info is because of the level of security clearance you must have to been in the job so most cases on what they do are strictly top secret.

Answer 3

CTN will be a watch-stander.  That means your shop will operate 24/7.  That means weekends, holidays and everything else.  That can get very, very old after a while.  I was a watch-stander for 22 years.

The rates in AECF will not, generally, be watch-standers, although you could be required to carry a pager and be on standby when you have the duty.  But this won't be anything like working around the clock.

Advancement opportunities are outlined in the CREO list the Navy puts out twice year.  The link is for the Sept. 2007 list.  Each rate is graded...

(1) "CREO 1" = UNDERMANNED

(2) "CREO 2" = MANNED AT DESIRED LEVELS

(3) "CREO 3" = OVERMANNED

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/navy/a/cr...

CTN is CREO 1 from E-1 through E-5.  That means fast advancement.  Check out the AECF rates yourself.

Your recruiter should have the current CREO list.  If he says he doesn't he's a liar.