DVIDS – News – Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group Host Commemoration For Rosemary S. Wenchel

Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group (NCWDG) hosted a commemoration ceremony for Rosemary S. Wenchel on December 20 at Fort Meade, Md.

During the ceremony Capt. Michael Herlands, commanding officer of NCWDG, presented a portrait of Wenchel to her family that will hang in the lobby of the NCWDG Cyber Foundry, a research and development command for some of the U.S. Navy’s cyber-warfare capabilities.

Friends and family of Wenchel talked about the impact she had on their lives and how she brought out the best in everyone around her.

“Rosemary was an unsung pioneer of naval cryptology and a trailblazer for the cyber discipline within the U.S. National Security establishment,” said Herlands. “She was a prominent member of our NCWDG family for decades and a true inspiration for many of us who continue carrying on her legacy.”

Wenchel’s service to the Navy cyber community began in 1989 as a computer systems programmer at the Naval Security Group. She would spend the rest of her career ensuring the Navy was the dominant force in the cyberspace and information environment.

Between 1995 and 2005 she worked at Naval Information Warfare Activity, finishing her time there as the chief scientist. She would go on to direct cyber capabilities at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.

She joined DHS in 2012 and became the assistant secretary for the Office of Cyber, Infrastructure and Resilience Policy to ensure the U.S. cyber workforce had the tools needed to succeed.

In 2016, she returned to NCWDG as the chief technology officer, providing technical leadership and strategic guidance for the research, development and operational delivery of cyber warfare capabilities. She passed away May 11, 2019.

George Wenchel, husband of Rosemary, expressed how his wife’s deep dedication to the Navy and her strong commitment to her cryptologic and cyber colleagues throughout her career, left the world a better place.

NCWDG serves as the Navy’s Center for Cyber Warfare innovation. For over 30 years, NCWDG has conducted technical research and development to…