Rare Vietnam Era US Navy Cryptologic Technician 3rd Class (CT3) Enlisted “SPOOKS” Dress Blue Uniform

Rare Vietnam Era US Navy Cryptologic Technician 3rd Class (CT3) Enlisted “SPOOKS” Dress Blue Uniform  

This excellent condition navy blue wool (dress blues) uniform set includes the size 40L jumper with a quite scare CT3 rating and size 34L bib front pants, both stenciled in white in the usual U.S. Navy manner with name and service number of the owner, “WEISS, S.M. D51 82-17” The label in the pants has “WEISS, S.M.” and Service No. “D51 82 17” written in with pen as well as “CO. 406” in the corner giving us a clue as to at least one duty assignment.  The label in the pants indicates they were made under a 1969 DSA contract.  The jumper has a 1971 DSA contract label.  This suggests service in during the Vietnam War.  The Cryptologic Technician (CT) rating is a hard one to find.  There were never a lot of them. The CT ratings performed a wide range of tasks in support of intelligence-gathering, with an emphasis on cryptology and signal intelligence. Most CT personnel were required to obtain and maintain security clearances. Due to the highly classified and secure work environment requiring very restricted access, it is not always possible to share resources with other commands, leading to their shipboard nickname, "spooks". Almost every detail surrounding the CT world from administration to operations to repair requires dedicated technicians with appropriate security clearances. Because of their diverse duties, there are many branches of the CT rating, a few branches, with their post 1976 three letter designations, are listed below.

(CTA) administration - administrative and clerical duties that control access to classified material.

(CTI) interpretive - radiotelephone communications and foreign language translation.

(CTM) maintenance - the installation, servicing and repair of electronic and electromechanical equipment.

(CTR) collection - Morse code communications and operation of radio direction-finding equipment.

(CTT) technical - communications by means other than Morse code and electronic countermeasures.