Calendar Year 2025 Marine Corps Association Information Awards Selectees

R 022034Z APR 26

MARADMIN 153/26 

MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC DC I WASHINGTON DC// 

SUBJ/SELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 2025 MARINE

CORPS ASSOCIATION INFORMATION AWARDS//

REF/A/MSGID: MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC I/YMD: 20260327//

NARR/REF A IS MARADMIN 546/25

SOLICITATION FOR THE MARINE CORPS ASSOCIATION INFORMATION AWARDS

FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2025// POC 1/JOSE R. VALLE/MAJ/DC I STAFF

SECRETARY/EMAIL: JOSE.VALLE@USMC.MIL/TEL: 703-693- 8697// 

POC 2/KELVIN R. AGUILAR/MSGT/DC I ADMIN CHIEF/

EMAIL: KELVIN.AGUILAR@USMC.MIL/TEL: 703-693-8693// 

POC 3//DENISE A. SHEPHERD/MGYSGT/DC I OPERATIONS CHIEF/

EMAIL: DENISE.SHEPHERD@USMC.MIL/TEL: 703-692-7714// 

GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. The Marine Corps Association (MCA) Information

Awards are administered by the Deputy Commandant for Information

(DC I) and consist of 25 individual awards, three unit/organization

awards, and one individual or team award in the fields of

information. The high quality of the nominees reflects the

continued outstanding performance of all the Marines and Civilians

throughout the Marine Corps Information Environment Enterprise.

Congratulations to all the nominees and selectees for this year’s

MCA Information Awards. 

2. I am pleased to announce the following selectees: 

2.a. The James Hamilton Information Technology (IT) Management

Civilian Marine of the Year Award:  Mr. Keith Kauwe, Marine Corps

Cyberspace Operations Group (MCCOG). 

2.b. The PFC Herbert A. Littleton Enlisted Awards: 

2.b.1. Noncommissioned Officer Award for Operational Communications

Excellence:  Sgt Landon A. Wilks, G-6, II Marine Expeditionary Force

(MEF). 

2.b.2. Staff Noncommissioned Officer Award for Operational

Communications Excellence:  SSgt Dieter G. Wiesner, 1st Marine

Raider Battalion (MRB), Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations

Command (MARSOC). 

2.b.3. Noncommissioned Officer Award for Electronics Maintenance

Excellence: Sgt Dylan T. Yates, 12th Marine Littoral Regiment

(MLR), 3d Marine Division (MARDIV). 

2.b.4. Staff Noncommissioned Officer Award for Electronics

Maintenance Excellence: SSgt Brenden B. Kuhlmann, 12th MLR, 3d

MARDIV. 

2.c. The CWO5 Brian "Joe" Graniero Restricted Officer Communications

Award: CWO2 Benjamin J. Rand, G-6, 2d Marine Logistics Group. 

2.d. The General Alfred M. Gray Award: Captain Trevor R. Pace, 26th

Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), II MEF. 

2.e. The LtCol Kevin M. Shea Memorial Unit of the Year Award: Marine

Wing Communications Squadron-38, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing. 

2.f. The John J. Guenther Marine Corps Intelligence Civilian of the

Year Award: Mr. Cameron Harvey, 700 Combat Support Team, Marine

Corps Cyberspace Warfare Group. 

2.g. The LCpl James E. Swain Marine Corps Intelligence Enlisted

Marine of the Year Award: LCpl Johnny W. Schimmelmann, 3d Littoral

Combat Team, 3d MLR. 

2.h. The MSgt Charles C. Arndt Marine Corps Intelligence

Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Award: Sgt Nizhoni P. Antle,

Marine Corps Intelligence Activity. 

2.i. The MGySgt Samuel C. Plott Marine Corps Intelligence Staff

Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Award: GySgt Briana Ferguson,

3d Marine Raider Support Battalion (MRSB), MARSOC. 

2.j. The LtCol Michael D. Kuszewski Marine Corps Intelligence

Officer of the Year Award: Maj Hunter C. Harrel, 3d MRB, MARSOC. 

2.k. The LtGen Vincent R. Stewart, Intelligence Unit of the Year

Award: Marine Raider Support Group, MARSOC. 

2.l. The Identity and Attribution Activities (IA2) Marine of the

Year Award: SSgt Kevin B. Allen, 22d MEU, II MEF. 

2.m. METOC Marine of the Year: Sgt Haylee N. Witcher, 2d Marine

Expeditionary Brigade, II MEF.  

2.n. The Information Civilian of the Year Award:  Mr. Ruben Acosta,

Marine Corps Information Operations Center, Marine Corps Information

Command. 

2.o. The Cyberspace Warfare Enlisted Marine of the Year Award: LCpl

Dragan S. Welton, 1st Network Battalion, MCCOG. 

2.p. The Cyberspace Warfare NCO of the Year Award: Sgt Charles A.

Grubbs, 3d Cyber Warfare Company, III MEF Information Group (MIG). 

2.q. The Cyberspace Warfare SNCO of the Year Award: MSgt Kevin M.

Coppola, Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, Marine Corps

Air Ground Combat Center. 

2.r. The Cyberspace Restricted Officer of the Year Award: CWO3

Anthony K. Franchi, II MIG, II MEF. 

2.s. The Cyberspace Warfare Officer of the Year Award: Capt Joshua

Diaz, 8th Communications Battalion, II MEF. 

2.t. The Maritime Space Officer of the Year Award: Maj Christos M.

Almeida, U.S. Space Command. 

2.u. The Influence NCO of the Year Award: Sgt Myles B. Bolanos, 1st

Information Maneuver Company, I MIG. 

2.v. The Influence SNCO of the Year Award: SSgt Jamar J. Jones, 2d

MRB, MARSOC. 

2.w. The Influence Officer of the Year Award: Major Jason K. Mahuna,

G-39, Marine Corps Forces, Pacific. 

2.x. The Marine Corps Information Environment Enterprise (MCIEE)

Technical Leadership Award: CWO5 Daniel R. Mitchell, G-9, Marine

Corps Forces, Cyberspace Command. 

2.y. The MCIEE Innovation Award: Maj Austin J. Oubre, Marine Corps

Forces, Space Command. 

2.z. The Information Unit of the Year Award:  II MIG. 

3. The Information Awards selectees will be honored at the annual

MCA Information Awards Dinner.  Held in close coordination between

MCA and DC I, this dinner showcases the top performing Marines,

civilians and units from the Information, C4, and Intelligence

communities on 23 April 2026.  Dinner and registration information

can be found at:

https://www.mca-marines.org/event/2026-information-awards-dinner/. 

4. Again, I extend my sincere congratulations to these professionals

and their families who displayed the utmost professionalism and

loyalty to our Marine Corps. 

5. Release authorized by Lieutenant General J. A. Matos III,

Headquarters Marine Corps, Deputy Commandant for Information.//