NSA inducts Ehret into Hall of Honor

The late Sonoma resident and retired Navy Capt. Howard C. Ehret, a beloved Sonoma community leader who passed away in January of 2012, was inducted into the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Cryptologic Hall of Honor at a ceremony held recently at the Agency’s National Cryptologic Museum. Only 72 cryptologists have earned this distinguished honor.

Ehret was described by NSA as a modern pioneer in the U.S. Navy who made cryptologic capabilities an indispensible part of naval operations in the late 20th century. He played a key role in developing an innovative way for the U.S. Navy to collect vital intelligence at sea about Soviet naval operations during the Cold War. His breakthrough significantly reduced the Soviet navy threat to U.S. naval force.

As “Naval Cryptology’s Rickover,” Ehret developed and implemented new cryptologic technology at sea and made it as inseparable to naval operations as nuclear power. He drove integration of technology into operations and supported these initiatives with training, tactics and procedures, realistic exercises, and meaningful ways to measure unit readiness. He combined his technological and managerial talents to changing the culture and operational impact of naval cryptology.

Ehret was also recognized for his dedication to training sailors. He authored new standards of readiness to establish job requirements, curriculum standards, and on-the-job performance in the Navy’s cryptologic force. He guided these standards to become Navy-wide Performance Qualification Standards.

In Sonoma, following his retirement from active duty, Howie Ehret was known for his leadership and hard work on behalf of many nonprofit groups.