Information Systems Technician – Submarine, Radio (ITR): Navy Reserve

A Navy Reserve Information Systems Technician in the submarine communications lane is a network and radio communicator who keeps information moving when timing, security, and reliability matter. In Navy terms, you will often see this work described through the IT family of ratings and submarine communications pathways, including IT, ITS, and the newer specialized submarine communications path ITR in the ITR SELRES career path.

In the Navy Reserve, the same core need still drives the job. Units must pass messages, protect cryptographic material, maintain trusted networks, and keep communications equipment available for tasking. Your Reserve schedule normally concentrates that work into drill weekends and annual training, with the option to support longer periods of active duty when the Navy needs extra capacity under the Navy Reserve drilling model.

This guide explains what the job looks like, how training and qualifications work, what the Reserve commitment really means, and how the submarine radio focus changes the day to day work.

Job Role and Responsibilities

Information Systems Technicians manage four big mission areas: information systems administration, cybersecurity, communications operations, and communications security (COMSEC) as described in the IT rating community overview. You troubleshoot user issues, configure and secure networks, run message traffic, and protect the keys and devices that keep classified communications safe.

In a submarine communications context, the work leans harder toward external communications systems, radio room operations, and careful handling of cryptographic material. The submarine communications path is built around operating and maintaining submarine exterior communications equipment and supporting communications leadership onboard in the ITR (SS) career path. That includes managing local databases and local area networks tied to the communications suite, maintaining radio systems, and supporting key management responsibilities at sea.

During Reserve drill periods, your tasks usually focus on readiness. You may perform maintenance checks, verify configurations, review procedures, update system baselines, train on message handling, or complete cybersecurity and COMSEC requirements. Your unit will also expect documentation discipline, because communications reliability depends on accurate logs, inventories, and configuration control.

Typical tasks you can expect

• Configure and maintain user accounts, permissions, and device settings on approved networks.
• Diagnose network outages and restore services using approved troubleshooting steps.
• Operate and maintain radio frequency systems and satellite communications paths.
• Transmit, receive, route, and store operational message traffic with correct handling rules.
• Protect COMSEC material through strict storage, accountability, and controlled distribution.
• Support defensive cyber actions by hardening systems and reporting incidents quickly.

Submarine radio focus: what feels different

The submarine communications mission has a narrower tolerance for error because connectivity windows can be short and operating conditions can be restrictive. The ITR pathway emphasizes radio room watchstanding, communications equipment operation, and direct support to the command communications team. Over time, career development in this lane highlights qualifications tied to communications watch functions and COMSEC account leadership.

Specific roles and organizational placement

The Navy has adjusted how it labels submarine IT specialties in recent years. The current ITR career path documentation describes ITR as the submarine communications specialty and lists specialized pathways inside the submarine IT community.

Work Environment

Most IT work happens indoors around racks, radios, servers, and user workstations. You spend a lot of time in climate controlled spaces, because sensitive electronics need stable conditions and controlled access. Teamwork is routine, but you also need to work independently when you are troubleshooting a fault or validating a configuration.

In the Navy Reserve, the work environment depends on your billet. Many Reserve IT Sailors drill close to home at a Navy Reserve Center or a supported command. The work can feel like a compressed version of an active duty shop, with a clear priority on readiness tasks, required training, and maintaining proficiency on systems you might not touch every day in civilian life.

A submarine radio focused billet changes the feel of the environment even during shore based periods. Submarine communications teams tend to use tighter procedures and higher levels of standardization because watchstanding and message handling must remain consistent across crews. When you are supporting submarine communications work, you should expect more emphasis on watch qualifications, controlled material handling, and communications discipline.

Tools, systems, and “what you touch”

You should expect a mix of commercial style IT tools and military specific systems. The IT community description highlights network and system administration, cybersecurity controls, RF communications, spectrum support, message handling, and COMSEC management. That mix often translates into hands on work with network operating systems, managed switches and routers, user support tools, communications planning products, and specialized cryptographic devices.

Work pace and stress points

The work is usually steady until a system fails or the mission shifts. When a circuit drops, a message is delayed, or a keying issue occurs, the pace becomes fast and procedural. In those moments, you must keep calm, follow the checklist, document actions, and coordinate with operators and supervisors. That is true on ships, at shore communications sites, and in submarine communications contexts where timing and security control the rhythm of the day.

Training and Skill Development

Your training path depends on whether you enter through the standard IT pipeline or the submarine pathway, and whether you are coming in as prior service. For new accessions, the Navy requires Recruit Training, then job school. For prior service Reserve accessions, boot camp may not apply, but job training requirements still do if you do not already hold the necessary skills and classifications.

Initial training pipeline

The baseline IT “A” school as a 24 week course in Pensacola, Florida, while the submarine pathway trains in Groton, Connecticut and includes an additional submarine school phase for submarine specific Sailors.

Recruit Training length changed recently. The Navy announced Basic Military Training would reduce from 10 weeks to 9 weeks effective January 2025 in the NETC press release. That nine week baseline is what most new Sailors should expect in 2026.

Skill development that matters most in drills

Because Reserve time is limited, the most valuable skill development is the kind that stays “ready” between drill weekends:

• Clear troubleshooting habits that start with symptoms, isolate the fault, and confirm restoration.
• Configuration control habits that prevent accidental changes and preserve baselines.
• Security habits that treat access, media, and keys as mission critical items.
• Communication habits that keep a team aligned during outages and time sensitive events.

Submarine communications NECs you may hear about

The ITR career path lists NECs tied to submarine communications equipment operation, maintenance, and leadership. Examples include 745A (Information Systems Technician) and submarine radio room related NECs like T11A, T12A, and T32A, along with 744A for a low band communications terminal operator or maintainer. These labels matter because they often drive what follow on training and billets you can fill.

Physical Demands and Medical Evaluations

IT work is not usually physically extreme, but it still requires a baseline of fitness and health readiness. You may lift equipment, work in tight spaces, climb ladders in shipboard environments, and spend long hours standing watch. In submarine oriented communications roles, you should also expect the job to involve confined workspaces and strict watch routines when assigned to operational platforms.

Physical Readiness Test minimums

Navy physical readiness standards are updated through the Physical Readiness Program, and the PRT uses events such as push ups and the plank, plus a cardio event. The PRT scoring tables set a minimum “probationary” level that you must meet to pass in the Guide-5A Physical Readiness Test.

Minimum passing scores, youngest age bracket (17 to 19), sea level or under 5,000 ft:

Medical screening and job related requirements

The IT rating entry requirements include sensory standards because communications and equipment work depends on accurate perception. The IT community lists normal color perception, normal hearing, and no speech impediment as rating entry requirements, along with a background investigation requirement.

If you are pursuing a submarine aligned communications path, you should also expect additional submarine suitability screening when assigned to submarine duty. The exact requirements vary by assignment and program, but the practical takeaway is simple: the Navy will screen you for duty suitability before placing you in a submarine billet.

Deployment and Duty Stations

A Navy Reserve IT Sailor usually trains locally during monthly drills and then travels for annual training. The Navy describes the baseline Reserve commitment as a minimum of one weekend a month and two weeks a year, or the equivalent, and notes that annual training can occur anywhere the Navy needs you.

What “deployment” can mean in the Reserve

Reserve service is not limited to weekend training. You can be mobilized or volunteer for active duty periods, which may place you with operational units, shore commands, or expeditionary teams. For IT work, that can include communications stations, cybersecurity support roles, fleet support commands, or operational platforms depending on your training and billet.

Submarine communications duty locations and patterns

The ITR career path shows a sea shore flow pattern built around submarine tours, submarine tender tours, and shore assignments such as schoolhouses, staff commands, broadcast control authority work, and other support roles. Even if you are drilling in the Reserve, those duty categories are useful because they describe where the submarine communications skill set is used across the fleet.

Common places Reserve IT Sailors support

• Navy Reserve Centers and supported operational commands near major fleet concentration areas.
• Shore communications and information warfare support activities.
• Training commands and staff functions when your unit supports readiness pipelines.
• Specialized communications support roles when you have the right NEC and clearances.

If you want a submarine radio focused Reserve track, the most realistic path is often to build the specialty through training, qualifications, and NECs that make you competitive for those billets. That usually takes deliberate planning with your unit and your community manager, because specialized billets are limited compared to general IT billets.

Career Progression and Advancement

Advancement in the IT family is competitive and performance based. You advance by demonstrating technical competence, leadership, strong evaluations, and completion of required professional milestones. The IT community emphasizes work across networks, cybersecurity, communications operations, and COMSEC, so well rounded performance often matters as much as one narrow skill.

How the submarine communications lane progresses

The ITR career path lays out a typical progression from junior operator and technician duties to leading petty officer roles, then senior communications leadership roles tied to radio supervision, COMSEC account management, and broader shipboard watch qualifications. Over time, the pathway also includes tours in staff, instructor, and broadcast authority support roles ashore.

Example progression map

Commissioning and special programs

The submarine communications career path document lists common commissioning routes and leadership programs that Sailors may pursue over time, including options such as LDO, CWO, OCS, and other commissioning pipelines. In the Reserve, eligibility and timing depend on your record, degree status, and program availability.

Salary and Benefits

Reserve pay is built from several layers. The foundation is base pay, which is the same pay table used across the services. When you drill, you are paid in drill periods rather than a full monthly salary, and the standard drill weekend usually totals four drill periods.

2026 pay basics for Reserve IT Sailors

The DFAS 2026 drill pay table shows the dollar amount for 1 drill and 4 drills by paygrade and years of service on the Reserve Component Drill Pay – Enlisted page. Your exact pay depends on your paygrade, years of service credit, and the number of paid drill periods you complete.

A simple way to think about it is that drill pay is built from the same base pay table, then paid out in drill increments. That is why your pay increases when you advance in grade or gain time in service.

Key benefits that often matter most in the Reserve

• Education benefits: Many Reserve members use the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) if eligible, which can provide up to 36 months of benefits for education and training.
• Experience and credentialing: IT experience and formal training can support civilian progression in network support, cybersecurity support, and related roles.
• Service flexibility: The Reserve structure is designed to fit around a civilian schedule while still meeting readiness demands through drills and annual training.

The financial reality to plan for

Reserve income is meaningful, but it is not the same as an active duty full time paycheck. Most Sailors build their plan around a civilian primary job, then treat drill pay, annual training pay, and optional active duty periods as additional income and experience. If you want the submarine radio specialty to pay off, the long term value often comes from the clearance eligibility, the disciplined security background, and the communications leadership experience you can explain to civilian employers.

Risk, Safety, and Legal Considerations

This job handles sensitive systems and protected information, so the biggest risks are usually security and compliance risks, not physical danger. You can cause mission impact if you mishandle COMSEC, misconfigure a protected network, or fail to follow message handling rules. The IT community description directly includes COMSEC accountability and cybersecurity actions as core functions, which is why training and procedures feel strict compared to many civilian IT roles.

Classified handling and clearance expectations

The Navy recruiting description notes that IT work can require eligibility for a Top Secret clearance and a background investigation, and the IT community page states SSBI required for the rating entry requirements listed there. You should expect that your personal conduct, finances, and online behavior can affect suitability for access.

COMSEC and accountability

COMSEC work is procedural for a reason. You will handle cryptographic material and devices that must be stored, tracked, and accounted for with zero improvisation. The IT community description highlights acquiring and maintaining a COMSEC allowance, ensuring storage and physical security, and operating key management systems. In submarine communications lanes, COMSEC account leadership is a major professional milestone, and the career path documentation treats CAM responsibilities as a key marker of readiness and leadership.

Legal and disciplinary exposure

The legal risks are straightforward. Unauthorized disclosure, mishandling classified information, or failing to follow access controls can trigger serious administrative or disciplinary action. In practice, that means you must stay deliberate about what you discuss, where you store data, and how you use devices. If you want this job, you should be comfortable living inside rules that are not optional.

Impact on Family and Personal Life

Navy Reserve life is designed to be predictable, but it still imposes real scheduling demands. Many Sailors can plan family life around that rhythm. Annual training can occur anywhere the Navy needs you, which can add travel and time away from home.

What families often experience in this job

• Weekend and holiday tradeoffs: Drill weekends can land on family weekends, and annual training can overlap school breaks or holidays.
• Short notice tasks: Cyber and communications readiness can create last minute training or support requirements.
• Mobilization possibility: Even in the Reserve, you can be activated when needs arise, which changes the family routine fast.

Submarine radio specialty and lifestyle effects

When your billet is aligned to submarine communications, your training and qualification demands can be more structured. Watchstanding culture is also more formal in many submarine aligned environments, which can translate into stricter qualification timelines and more rigorous proficiency expectations. Even if you do not spend every month on a submarine, the specialty still pushes you toward consistent standards.

What helps most

Families do best when the Sailor treats the Reserve schedule like a standing appointment, communicates early, and uses annual training planning windows to reduce surprises. It also helps to keep a simple readiness routine between drills, because catching up at the last second usually creates stress at home and at the unit.

Post-Service Opportunities

This job maps cleanly into civilian roles because it builds practical experience in networking, user support, communications operations, and security habits. On the civilian side, related roles include computer network support, help desk and user support, systems administration, and entry level cybersecurity support.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $73,340 for computer network support specialists (May 2024), and $60,340 for computer user support specialists (May 2024) in the Computer Support Specialists outlook.

What employers tend to value from this job

• Experience working under formal security and compliance rules.
• Proven troubleshooting under time pressure with documentation.
• Comfort working with enterprise networks, not just home networks.
• Communications discipline and incident reporting habits.

How to turn Navy experience into better civilian outcomes

The biggest difference between “good” and “great” outcomes is how clearly you translate Navy work into civilian language. Keep a record of systems you supported, outages you resolved, security tasks you performed, and training you completed. If you can describe measurable results, like reduced downtime, improved compliance, or faster restoration times, hiring managers listen.

Long term advantage for submarine communications Sailors

The submarine communications lane adds weight in two ways. First, it reinforces procedural discipline and watchstanding reliability. Second, it builds leadership credibility in COMSEC and communications accountability, which can support supervisory roles in secure IT environments.

Qualifications and Eligibility

Eligibility has two layers. First, you must meet general Navy enlistment requirements. Second, you must meet rating specific entry requirements.

General Navy requirements that commonly apply

The Navy lists baseline requirements such as age range, education, and other eligibility factors for joining. Those standards can change by program and waiver policy, but they set the entry gate for any rating.

IT rating entry requirements you should plan around

The IT community page lists multiple ways to qualify by ASVAB composites. It also lists sensory requirements and security investigation requirements.

ASVAB qualification options shown for IT:

• IT/SG (4 year obligation path options):
  • AR+MK+EI+VE ≥ 212, or
  • VE+MK+GS ≥ 156, or
  • CT+MK+VE ≥ 156 with CT ≥ 60.
• IT/ATF (6 year obligation path options):
  • VE+AR+MK+GS ≥ 214, or
  • VE+MK+GS ≥ 156, or
  • CT+MK+VE ≥ 156 with CT ≥ 60.

Other listed entry requirements include:

• Normal color perception and normal hearing, with specific audiogram thresholds.
• No speech impediment.
• U.S. citizenship.
• SSBI required.

Service obligation and Reserve structure

Your overall military service obligation is typically eight years for members whose initial entry is on or after 1 June 1984, and Navy policy explains how active and reserve time can satisfy that obligation. In practical terms, many contracts mix active service, Selected Reserve time, and IRR time depending on your program and the Navy’s needs.

If you are transitioning from active duty into the Reserve, the Navy recruiting guidance also explains how Sailors can complete the remaining obligation through SELRES and then IRR in many common cases in prior service joining guidance.

Is This a Good Job for You? The Right (and Wrong) Fit

This job is a strong fit for people who like solving problems, following procedures, and protecting information. It is also a good fit for someone who wants a civilian IT career and can commit to steady skill maintenance over time. The Reserve version of the job rewards self direction because you have to stay sharp between drill periods.

Ideal candidate profile

You tend to do well if you have steady focus and you can stay calm during outages. A good IT or ITR Sailor likes learning systems, documenting work, and checking assumptions before making changes. You also need comfort with accountability, because COMSEC and security compliance depend on strict processes, not personal style.

If the submarine communications focus is your goal, you should also be comfortable with watchstanding culture and the idea that communications reliability is a leadership issue, not just a technical issue. The submarine communications career path emphasizes qualifications tied to radio supervision, watch functions, and COMSEC account leadership over time.

Potential challenges

This role can frustrate people who hate rules or who want to improvise technical fixes without paperwork. Security requirements can feel heavy, and you cannot solve problems by installing random tools or changing settings without approval. Reserve time compression is another challenge. If you do not practice or study between drills, you may feel behind when you return.

Submarine aligned communications work can also be demanding for people who want maximum predictability. Even when you are drilling locally, the specialty can require extra qualification effort and more rigid standards.

Career and lifestyle alignment

This job aligns well with civilian careers in IT support, networking, and security minded environments. It also aligns well with people who want a part time military identity while building a civilian career. It is a weaker fit if you want a job with minimal security scrutiny, or if you want a role with little documentation and few compliance rules.

If you want the job mainly for “cool gear,” it can disappoint. If you want it for problem solving, disciplined operations, and a clear bridge into civilian IT, it is one of the more practical Navy Reserve paths.

More Information

If you wish to learn more about becoming an Information Systems Technician – Submarine, Radio (ITR) in the Navy Reserve, contact your local Navy Enlisted Recruiter. They will provide you with more detailed information you’re unlikely to find online.

You may also be interested in the following related Navy Reserve Enlisted jobs:

• Information Systems Technician – Submarine, Networks (ITN)

• Machinist’s Mate – Submarine, Auxiliary (MMA)