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MCA Information Awards Open for CY 2026 Nominations

MARADMIN 535/26·October 29, 2026·2 min read·Official source

The Deputy Commandant for Information (DC I) is now accepting nominations for the Marine Corps Association (MCA) Information Awards for CY 2026. There are 30 awards total covering intelligence, cyber, communications, space, electromagnetic spectrum operations, psychological operations, strategic communication, civil affairs, and related fields. Activated reservists are explicitly eligible. If your Marines did standout work in any of these communities during 2026, a nomination window is open now.

Heads up: Activated SMCR, AR, and IRR Marines are eligible based on any active duty service during CY 2026, but packages must flow through the right chain of command or they won't be considered.

Who it affects

This is Total Force, so it applies across the Marine Corps. For reservists specifically:

  • SMCR, AR, and IRR Marines who were activated at any point during CY 2026 are eligible.
  • Eligibility is tied to the information communities: Intelligence, C4, Cyber, Psychological Operations, Space, Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations, Strategic Communication and Operations, Civil Affairs, and METOC.
  • Previous winners of a specific award cannot be nominated for that same award again.
  • Civilian Marines working in these communities are also eligible for applicable awards.

What you need to do

If you have a Marine (or are one yourself) who deserves recognition, here is how nominations work:

  1. Check eligibility and review award categories at https://www.information.marines.mil/mca-awards/. Performance and eligibility criteria, nomination limits by command, and package format templates are all there.
  2. Build your package: a Summary of Performance (two pages max) plus a one-page biography. Civilian nominees also need a letter of recommendation. Unit award packages need a recommendation from the supported unit or organization commander.
  3. Get the right endorsement. Commands listed in the nomination limits document (Reference C at the link above) route packages through their chain and forward the best to DC I. If your command is not listed, send directly to DC I through the first General Officer in your administrative chain.
  4. Submit the package online at https://usmc.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/DCI/Awards/SitePages/MCA_INFO_Award.aspx. Packages must be in PDF format. Include a command-style photo (.jpg) and a unit logo photo (.jpg) uploaded separately. Service Alphas for military; business professional for civilians. Utility uniform is only accepted if the nominee is currently deployed.
  5. For classified Summaries of Performance (Secret level max), submit the classified portion at https://usmc.spo.microsoft.scloud/sites/DCDCI/Lists/MCA%20INFO%20AWARDS%202026/MyView.aspx. Submit all other package elements through unclassified channels as normal.

Unit award note: Nominations must originate from the next higher echelon above the nominated unit. Do not submit through multiple chains of command.

Key dates

  • 1 Jan 2026 through 31 Dec 2026: Eligible performance period
  • 15 Jan 2027: Nomination packages due to DC I (hard deadline)
  • Early March 2027: Award winners notified by MARADMIN
  • CY 2027: Awards presented at the MCA Information Awards Dinner (exact date TBD)

The official version

MARADMIN 535/26

Supporting references (eligibility criteria, nomination limits, and templates) are not individually linked in the MARADMIN but are accessible at https://www.information.marines.mil/mca-awards/.

POC: Maj Jose R. Valle, DC I Staff Secretary, jose.valle@usmc.mil, 703-692-7714. MSgt Kelvin R. Aguilar, DC I Admin Chief, kelvin.aguilar@usmc.mil, 703-692-3119.

This is written by a reservist, for reservists. It is not an official publication of HQMC or MARFORRES. Always verify guidance with your command or unit S-1 before acting on any article or summary.

Resources & references

The documents this bulletin points to, with a plain-English note on why each matters. Links marked CAC required need a government login.

  • MCA Information Awards order (DCIO 1650.2)Reference

    This is the governing order for the Marine Corps Association Information Awards program administered by DC I. The MARADMIN notes it is currently under revision and that this message supersedes it in the interim.

  • Awards Categories, Performance and Eligibility Criteria document (Ref B)

    This document defines the award categories, performance standards, and eligibility criteria for the Marine Corps Association Information Awards, which recognize Marines, civilian Marines, and units making exceptional contributions to the Marine Corps Information Environment Enterprise. If you or someone in your command works in an information-related role and may be eligible for nomination, this document tells you exactly what the standards are and what a competitive package needs to demonstrate.

  • Nomination Limits by Command (Ref C)

    This document lists how many Marine Corps Association Information Award nominations each command is allowed to submit and which commands conduct their own internal board before forwarding packages to DC I. If you are in a unit within the Marine Corps Information Environment Enterprise and want to submit a nomination, this document tells you whether your command has a set limit and whether you submit through your chain or directly to DC I.

  • Individual Nomination Package Format Template (Ref D)

    This is the nomination package format template for the Marine Corps Association Information Awards, which recognize Marines, civilian Marines, and units for exemplary performance within the Marine Corps Information Environment Enterprise. If you or someone you know works in the information field and may be eligible for nomination, this document tells you exactly how to format and submit a package by the 31 January 2026 deadline.

  • Unit/Organization Nomination Package Format Template (Ref E)

    This is the official format template for nominating a Marine unit or organization for a Marine Corps Association Information Award, governed by MARADMIN 546/25. If your unit has made notable contributions to the Marine Corps Information Environment Enterprise and your command is putting together a nomination package due by 31 January 2026, this template shows you exactly how that package must be structured and submitted.

  • Classified SoP submission portal (SharePoint cloud)

    Nominees with a classified Summary of Performance up to the Secret level submit it through this online portal. All other unclassified package components are still submitted through the standard unclassified submission link.

  • Nomination package online submission portal (DC I SharePoint)CAC required

    This is where all nomination packages must be submitted online by 15 January 2027. The MARADMIN provides specific instructions on how to fill in nominee name, rank, and unit fields within this portal.

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