ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Two congressional staffers representing Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois visited the Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, or CERDEC, here, Nov. 30.Kirk is starting an Electronic Warfare, or EW, Caucus and his congressional staffers visited the CERDEC Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate, or I2WD, to gain insight and education on what the Army is doing with EW.The staffers took part in several demonstrations and hands-on displays from various labs throughout I2WD, including an overview of radio frequency detection systems and jamming systems which block the signals used to detonate roadside bombs.I2WD's contributions to these efforts began as soon as the Army recognized remote-controlled bombs as an emerging threat to Soldiers. The Army honored the I2WD-developed CREW Duke V3 system, an EW jamming system now transitioned to Program Executive Office Intelligence Electronic Warfare & Sensors, as one of the Army's Greatest Inventions for 2009.In 1989, Kirk was commissioned as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He served for 23 years until retiring in 2013 with the rank of commander. According to his staffers, Kirk's interest in EW stems from his military background.I2WD enables military action involving the use of electromagnetic and directed energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or to attack the adversary's network to minimize collateral damage.---The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, or CERDEC, is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to ensure decisive overmatch for unified land operations to empower the Army, the joint warfighter and our nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.