R 201521Z DEC 24
MARADMIN 624/24
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC CD WASHINGTON DC// 
SUBJ/2024 DEFENSE MEDIA AWARDS AND MARINE CORPS VISUAL INFORMATION 
AND EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNICATION AWARDS PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT// 
REF/A/MARINE CORPS VISUAL INFORMATION AND EXCELLENCE IN 
COMMUNICATION AWARDS PROGRAM SOP-CY2024// 
NARR/REF A, IS THE MARINE CORPS GUIDANCE AND PROCEDURES FOR 
SUBMISSION INTO THE MARINE CORPS AWARDS PROGRAM AND SUBSEQUENT ENTRY
INTO THE DEFENSE MEDIA AWARDS.  LINK TO REF A IN MESSAGE BODY.// 
POC/W. E. SPRADLIN/CWO5/HQMC CD/TEL: (703) 614-1494/EMAIL:  
WADE.SPRADLIN@USMC@USMC.MIL// 
POC/K. L. MCDOLE/GYSGT/HQMC CD/TEL: (703) 614-1494/TEL: DSN  
224-1494/EMAIL: KASSIE.MCDOLE@USMC.MIL// 
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  Purpose:  This MARADMIN announces the call for  
nominations for the 2024 Defense Media Awards and the 2024 Marine 
Corps Visual Information and Excellence in Communication (VIEC) 
awards program.  This program recognizes Communication Strategy and
Operations (COMMSTRAT) units, officers, enlisted Marines, and 
civilians whose leadership, writing, photography, videography, 
graphic design, and communication planning have promoted the Marine 
Corps and demonstrated outstanding achievement in furthering the 
objectives of the Service and U.S. Department of Defense. 
2.  Background:  The Defense Media Awards program is administered by 
the Defense Media Activity (DMA) under the authority of Department 
of Defense Directive 5105.74, “Defense Media Activity.”   The Marine 
Corps VIEC awards program is administered by HQMC Communication 
Directorate (CD) and the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents 
Association (USMCCCA).  The Marine Corps VIEC program is used to 
select Service winners. First place winners will be elevated to 
compete in the Defense Media Awards program. 
3.  Eligibility:  Graphic design, photography, videography, and 
print VIEC award categories are open to second lieutenants-captains, 
privates-staff sergeants, and warrant officer-chief warrant officer 
3, to include reserve Marines on active duty, reserve Marines 
attending regular drills, members of mobilization training units for
 COMMSTRAT, and any Government Service (GS) civilians assigned to 
COMMSTRAT.  The “Communication Plan of the Year” award is open to 
all grades and rank based “Of the Year” awards are open to all 
eligible grades of the associated MOS.  All entrants must be 
officially engaged in the production of VI for the Marine Corps.   
See reference (a) for further information on eligibility. 
4.  Submission entries into the Marine Corps VIEC awards program and 
DMA program will be accomplished through the Defense Visual 
Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) at 
https:(slash)(slash)www.dvidshub.net.  Enter through the awards 
media contest interface module within admin tools.  Entries not 
uploaded to DVIDS as required in the category descriptions will be 
disqualified.  Send COMMSTRAT Unit/Marine/SNCO/Visual Information 
Officer/Officer of the Year nominations and communication plan 
category entries to MARADMIN POCs.  Marines may submit no more than 
one submission per category.  Units may only submit one Marine for 
each COMMSTRAT of the Year category.  
5.  All content must have been created and published on DVIDS 
between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024.  Submissions for the 
Marine Corps VIEC awards program must arrive by 2359 EST, 11 
February 2025.  All entries must be submitted in accordance with 
contest guidelines, reference (a), contained in the 2024 Defense 
Media Awards program SOP and Marine Corps VIEC SOP found at 
https(slash)(slash)www.dvidshub.net/awards/guidelines.  Improper 
submissions will be disqualified unless fixed by the submitter/unit 
prior to the deadline date.  
6.  COMMSTRAT-specific awards include: 
6.a.  Communication Strategy and Operations Marine of the Year 
6.b.  Communication Strategy and Operations SNCO of the Year 
6.c.  Communication Strategy and Operations Visual Information 
Officer of the Year 
6.d.  Communication Strategy and Operations Officer of the Year 
6.e.  Communication Strategy and Operations Unit of the Year 
7.  For the full list of Marine Corps award categories and VIEC SOP 
visit reference (a) at the link above. 
8.  Submissions will be subject to major command judging.  Five 
major commands will be used to judge at the regional level in order 
to submit the most competitive entries to the branch level.  Refer 
to reference (a) for more information. 
9.  Winners will be notified by MARADMIN.  Awards will be presented 
at the annual COMMSTRAT Training and Leadership Development Summit. 
Details will be passed via SEPCOR. 
10.  Contact POCs for further information and clarification of 
submission guidelines.   
11.  Release authorized by SES April Langwell, Director of  
Communication, Headquarters Marine Corps, Communication 
Directorate.//