MCA Intelligence Awards Dinner

The first ever Intelligence Awards Dinner was hosted by the Marine Corps Association to a near capacity crowd on Thursday, 15 September 2011 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.  Co-hosted by the HQMC Intelligence directorate, the dinner provided the opportunity to recognize the professional accomplishments of the top performing officer and enlisted Marines in the intelligence field as well as the top performing Marine Intelligence unit during 2010 and featured General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps as the guest speaker and senior awards presenter along with BGen Vincent R. Stewart, Director of Intelligence for the Marine Corps.

BGen Stewart and Gen Dunford

Intel Awards presented during the ceremony

The event was preceded by a no-host reception along with a VIP reception for the award recipients and their families, award sponsors and General officers in attendance.  The dinner itself kicked off with a Quantico band serenade which featured a stirring rendition of the popular “Washington Post March”, a traditional color ceremony and some brief administrative and welcoming remarks by Colonel John Keenan, USMC (Ret), editor of Marine Corps Gazette. The chaplain’s invocation was then offered by RADM Margaret Kibben, USN, Chaplain of the Marine Corps and the guests settled down to a sumptuous steak dinner with heroic servings.

The Color Guard with SgtMaj Kevin Bennett, MCA’s Quantico Area Representative at the lectern on stage

Following a “Mud Pie” dessert and after dinner coffee, Sgt Maj Bennett from MCA introduced BGen Stewart who took the lectern, acknowledged the many distinguished guests in the audience, paid tribute to Marine families in support of their Marines and introduced the guest speaker, General Dunford.

General Dunford’s remarks

General Dunford began his comments by graciously recognizing the families of the Intel Awards namesakes and also acknowledged the families of the evening’s awards recipients in attendance. Turning to the subject of the Marine Corps intelligence field and capabilities, Gen Dunford acknowledged the vital contributions of LtGen P,K. Van Ripper and former Commandant of the Marine Corps General Al Gray as being among the top, visionary leaders who dramatically developed the Corps’ intel capacity.  He pointed out that, in preceding years, Intel was an occupational backwater and has gone through three phases, where no one talked about it, leading to a phase where Intel acquisition is operations, to today, where Intel actually drives operations. He pointed out that Marine Corps Intelligence Agency support and the information from the tactical fusion center is vital now and that, as opposed to earlier in his career when S-2 sections were short staffed and relegated to bothersome additional duties not related to the gathering and analysis of intelligence, now the community makes a tremendous contribution to effective operations.  By way of example, he pointed out that in Afghanistan now, intelligence acquisition and analysis assets, including SIGINT and HUMINT resources are pushed down to the platoon level and are making quite a positive difference.  He concluded with a short summary of the contributions to the community by each of the award namesakes and finished with the observation that the community was in great shape.
At the conclusion of his remarks, General Dunford was joined by BGen Stewart and the award presentations commenced.  During the awards ceremony, the following awards were presented:

The LtCol Michael D. Kuszewski Award for Outstanding Marine Corps Intelligence Officer was sponsored by L3 Communications and presented to Captain Tyson M. Ackermann

Capt Ackereman on stage receiving award

LtCol Kuszewski Award

The MGySgt Samuel C. Plott Award for Outstanding Marine Corps Intelligence Staff Noncommissioned Officer was sponsored by Hewlett Packard and presented to GySgt Alan R. King

GySgt King

MGySgt Plott Award

The MSgt Charles C. Arndt Award for Outstanding Marine Corps Intelligence Noncommissioned Officer was sponsored by BAE Systems and presented to Cpl Raymond P. Weeks

Cpl Weeks on stage flanked by SgtMaj Barrett and Gen Dunford

MSgt Arndt Award

The Lance Corporal James E. Swain Award for Outstanding Marine Corps Enlisted Marine was sponsored by Overwatch Textron Systems and presented to Cpl Jeremy C. Price-Johnson

Cpl Price-Johnson

LCpl Swain Award

The Mr. John J. Guenther Award for Outstanding Marine Corps Intelligence Civilian was sponsored by Man Tech International Corporation and presented to Mr. Craig Clarke

Mr Clarke

Guenther Award

The Director of Intelligence Cup for Outstanding Marine Corps Intelligence Unit was sponsored by Battelle and presented to 1st Intelligence Battalion

LtCol Victor Bunch (former C.O. of 1st Intel Battalion) Receiving Award

DIRINT Cup for Unit presentation and retention

DIRINT Cup kept by Director of Intelligence

Note: MCA presented approximately 800 signed Certificates of Achievement to each individual serving in 1st Intelligence Battalion during the time when the award was earned.

The Marine Corps Intelligence Association MajGen Ennis Award for Literary Excellence was presented to Matt Pottinger

Mr Pottinger

For biographies of the award recipients and a video presentation of the event, click on the links below:

Link to the program (opens in pdf)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4