Enlisted Information Warfare Specialist (EIWS) Common Core Practice Test

What was the purpose of the Navajo Code Talkers?

Native Americans from the Navajo tribe used their own language to make a code for the U.S. military that the Japanese could not decipher. A cryptographic algorithm was developed by the Navajo tribe. They built a mechanical cipher machine. They translated English into Navajo to assist air traffic control.

Correct Answer:

A cryptographic algorithm was developed by the Navajo tribe.

Explanation:

Using a living language as a secure code provided a practical way to communicate quickly and confidently on the battlefield. The Navajo Code Talkers built a specialized code around the Navajo language, leveraging the fact that it was unwritten and unfamiliar to the enemy, which made interception useless without the code knowledge. They assigned Navajo words to common military terms and created procedures so messages could be encoded and decoded rapidly over radio channels. This approach was not about a cryptographic algorithm or a mechanical cipher device, nor was it simply translating English for air traffic control. The result was a fast, reliable means of secure communications that helped U.S. forces coordinate operations in the Pacific.

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