NAVAL AIR STATION OCEANA DAM NECK ANNEX, Virginia Beach, Va. -- Marine Corps Intelligence Schools has been honored with the Department of Defense Intelligence and Security Learning Enterprise Gold Level of Achievement award for 2015.
This is the first year the award was presented by the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence through the Department of Defense Intelligence Training and Education Board. MCIS received the Gold Level award for being the top school, chosen from a field of 52 formal learning centers encompassing $2 billion in resources and assets across the Department of Defense.
In 2015, MCIS provided more than 200,000 hours of instruction to approximately 2,500 Marines. The instructor staff is comprised of 165 active-duty Marines and three contractors.
“We have some very capable, extremely bright and talented, creative instructors on staff,” said Col. John E. Walker Jr., commanding officer, MCIS.
The major focus for MCIS during 2015 was a consolidation of the schools to provide a better training environment, training efficiency, and cost savings. One of the things the award takes into account is how innovative a school has been with its training, developing new curriculum, and gaining efficiency.
“The consolidation showed how well MCIS worked with other services, specifically the Air Force,” said Fred Wilson, future operations officer, MCIS.
One of the primary reasons MCIS earned the DITEB Gold Award was the very efficient Marine Air-Ground Task Force Counterintelligence/Human Intelligence Course in Virginia Beach, which conducts five classes annually. The course produces the most well-rounded intelligence collectors in the U.S. government. This is only accomplished by MCIS’s push to obtain the highest-quality intelligence Marines and sailors to serve as instructors, and those instructors’ tremendous work ethic.
Col. Walker assumed command of the school house August 2015. He said he didn’t make any major changes when he took over because he already knew what a great group of instructors he had.
“This is just a reflection of the hard work that has gone in over time and I’m extremely proud of the instructors we have here,” said Walker. “They’re top notch; they are the gold standard across the Department of Defense.”
According to Fred Wilson, to the staff and instructors, this award is more than just a pat on the back.
“It means that we’re putting out qualified Marines,” said Wilson. “We’re doing a good job and making sure the Marine Corps is manned with the best possible intelligence personnel we can give them.”