AwardsRoutine update
CY2026 Douglas A. Zembiec Special Operations Officer of the Year Selection Board
Announcement of the 2026 Zembiec Award selection board and call for nominations, open to active-duty MARSOC Marine Raider Officer Team Commanders only. This MARADMIN explicitly does not apply to the Marine Corps Reserve.
This is a routine update, such as a name list, a set of results, or a recurring notice. The plain-English version is the summary above; the official text follows in full so you can find your name, number, or unit. Read it on marines.mil
Official text
R 261506Z OCT 26 MARADMIN 523/26 MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC PPO PO WASHINGTON DC// SUBJ/ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CALENDAR YEAR (CY) 2026 DOUGLAS A. ZEMBIEC SPECIAL OPERATIONS OFFICER OF THE YEAR SELECTION BOARD// REF/A/DOC/MCO 1650.60/YMD: 20180930// AMPN/REF A IS MCO 1650.60 MARINE CORPS GROUND AWARDS PROGRAM// POC/E.A. BENSON/CIV/UNIT: PPO POF/-/TEL: (703)-692-4303/ EMAIL: EUGENE.A.BENSON@USMC.MIL// POC/N.D. WHITEFIELD/COL/UNIT PPO POF/-/TEL: (703) 614-4183/ EMAIL: NICKOLAS.WHITEFIELD@USMC.MIL POC/R.D. CRYMES/LTCOL/UNIT: PPO POF (SOF)/-/TEL: 703-692-4320/ EMAIL: RYAN.D.CRYMES.MIL@USMC.MIL// POC/M.D. MAROTTA/MGYSGT/UNIT: PPO POF (SOF)/-/TEL: 703-697-2959/ EMAIL: MATTHEW.MAROTTA.MIL@USMC.MIL// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. Situation. This MARADMIN announces the convening of the 2026 Douglas A. Zembiec Special Operations Officer of the Year selection board and solicits nominations per Ref A. The Zembiec Award is an award presented annually in memory of Major Douglas A. Zembiec, U.S. Marine Corps, killed in action in Iraq, 2007. The Commander, United States Marine Forces, Special Operations Command (COMMARFORSOC) will convene a board of Senior Field Grade Officers to recommend an officer to the Commandant of the Marine Corps for selection. 2. Mission. 2.a. Per Ref A, Commanders will use the following criteria to submit nominations: 2.a.1. Nominee must be serving on active duty as a MARSOC Marine Raider Officer Team Commander during the period of eligibility. 2.a.2. Previous recipients are ineligible to be re-nominated. Officers previously nominated but not selected are eligible for subsequent nominations if they meet all award criteria. 2.a.3. Nominations may be submitted posthumously, provided the officer nominated would meet all eligibility and award criteria. 2.a.4. Nominees should be recognized by seniors, contemporaries, and subordinates as officers who most exemplify outstanding leadership and tactical acumen in the Marine Special Operations community. 2.a.5. Nominees must clearly and dramatically demonstrate the ideals of courage, resourcefulness, perseverance, and concern for the well-being of the Special Operations community, our Corps, and their fellow Marines. 2.a.6. Nominees must exhibit qualities that have made an outstanding contribution to the development of Esprit De Corps, tactical and technical competence, and loyalty within the Special Operations Forces community. 2.a.7. Nominees, through personal example, must set the standards that all other officers seek to emulate. 2.a.8. Actions included in each nomination must have occurred within the period of eligibility (January-December 2026). 3. Execution. COMMARFORSOC will accept nominations from across the Service and Joint Force (where Marine Raider Officers may be serving) and convene a board to select nominees using the eligibility and award criteria stated above and specified in the reference. COMMARFORSOC will submit the names of all nominees considered by the board, including the recommended award recipient to DC, PP&O (POF) no later than 19 February 2027. Nominations will consist of the following: 3.a. Biographical information of the nominee. 3.b. Summary of performance supporting the nominee's qualifications for the award. 4. Administration and logistics. 4.a. DC, PP&O (POF) will process the nomination packages. The packages submitted will include the nominee's unit address, point of contact, and phone number (Comm and DSN). The packages shall be sent electronically via unclassified email to the POC's indicated in this message. 4.a.1. Nomination packages submitted via email must be sent to all message POCS listed above. 4.a.1.a. Submit package as a .pdf file. Ensure the entire package is legible after scanning. 4.b. This MARADMIN does not apply to the Marine Corps Reserve. 5. Command and signal. 5.a. Ensure widest dissemination of the contents of this MSG. 5.b. Direct all questions regarding this MARADMIN to the POCs listed above. 6. Release authorized by BGen Michael R. Nakonieczny, Director, Operations Division, Plans, Policies, and Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.//
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