Announcement of Calendar Year 2025 Visual Information and Excellence in Communication (VIEC) Award Winners
This MARADMIN announces the winners of the Calendar Year 2025 Visual Information and Excellence in Communication (VIEC) Awards, recognizing Marines and commands for outstanding work in communication strategy, graphic design, photography, videography, and writing. Winners will be honored at the annual COMMSTRAT Training and Leadership Development Summit during August 3-7, 2026, in the National Capital Region, and commands must notify the POC of winners' attendance by June 17, 2026.
Issued: April 29, 2026
1. Congratulations to the following Marines and
commands on their selection as the recipients of the 2025
Communication Strategy and Operations (COMMSTRAT) Visual Information
and Excellence in Communication (VIEC) Awards. Your leadership and
proficiency in visual information and communication have greatly
supported the Commandant of the Marine Corps' communication
objectives and brings great credit to you and your commands.
2. First Place Award Recipients:
2.a. COMMSTRAT of the Year winners:
(1) Communication Strategy of the Year:
U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa
(2) Communication Plan of the Year:
MSgt Scott Schmidt, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and
Africa
(3) Visual Information Plan of the Year:
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
(4) COMMSTRAT Marine of the Year:
Sgt Brian Knowles, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
(5) COMMSTRAT SNCO of the Year:
GySgt Brett Norman, 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit
(6) COMMSTRAT Visual Information Officer of the Year:
CWO2 John Lamb, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
(7) COMMSTRAT Officer of the Year:
1stLt Madison Walls, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing
(8) COMMSTRAT Unit of the Year:
22d Marine Expeditionary Unit
2.b. Graphic Design winners:
(1) Marine Corps Graphic Designer of the Year:
Sgt Joanna Stauss, Marine Corps Installations Pacific
(2) Civilian Graphic Designer of the Year:
No Awards
(3) Digital Art:
1st Place: LCpl Zainab Sink, 3d Marine Division
2nd Place: Sgt Joanna Stauss, Marine Corps Installations
Pacific
3rd Place: LCpl Jeffrey Pruett, 3d Marine Division
(4) Identity Design:
1st Place: Sgt Joanna Stauss, Marine Corps Installations
Pacific
2nd Place: LCpl Maria Vazquez, 3d Marine Division
3rd Place: Cpl Keegan Jones, 1st Marine Division
(5) Layout and Design:
1st Place: Sgt Matthew Krogull, Marine Corps Combat
Development and Integration
2nd Place: Cpl Hana Lathrop, Marine Corps Base Quantico
3rd Place: Sgt Noah Masog, U.S. Marine Corps Forces,
Europe and Africa
(6) Animation:
1st Place: Sgt Joanna Stauss, Marine Corps Installations
Pacific
2nd Place: Cpl Brian Knowles, Marine Rotational Force –
Southeast Asia
3rd Place: Sgt William Wallace, III MEF Information Group
(7) Photo Illustration:
1st Place: Sgt Joanna Stauss, Marine Corps Installations
Pacific
2nd Place: LCpl Andrew Whistler, 1st Marine Division
3rd Place: LCpl Yamely Saeteros, Marine Corps Base
Quantico
2.c. Photography winners:
(1) Marine Corps Photographer of the Year:
Sgt Kyle Chan, 1st Marine Division
(2) Marine Corps Civilian Photographer of the Year:
No Awards
(3) Photo Series:
1st Place: LCpl Alyssa DeCrane, Marine Corps Installations
East
2nd Place: Sgt Kyle Chan, 1st Marine Division
3rd Place: Cpl Sarah Grawcock, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San
Diego
(4) News Photo:
1st Place: Cpl Darien Wright, Marine Corps Base Quantico
2nd Place: Cpl Joaquin Dela Torre, 3d Marine Division
3rd Place: Cpl Joshua Bustamante, Commandant of the Marine
Corps
(5) Feature Photo:
1st Place: LCpl Victor Gurrola, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit
2nd Place: Sgt Mary Torres, 2nd Marine Logistics Group
3rd Place: Cpl Desiree Ruiz, 1st Marine Logistics Group
(6) Portrait:
1st Place: Sgt Patrick King, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San
Diego
2nd Place: LCpl Judith Ann Lazaro, 2d Marine Division
3rd Place: SSgt Scott Jenkins, Marine Corps Forces Reserve
(7) Sports Photography:
1st Place: LCpl Harleigh Faulk, Marine Corps Base Quantico
2nd Place: LCpl Zachary Candiani, Marine Corps Combat Service
Support Schools
3rd Place: Cpl Zachariah Ferraro, Marine Corps Combat Service
Support Schools
2.d. Videography winners:
(1) Marine Corps Videographer of the Year:
Cpl Jacob Richardson, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris
Island
(2) Marine Corps Civilian Videographer of the Year:
No Awards
(3) Short-Form Production Video:
1st Place: II Marine Expeditionary Force, "Flamethrower"
2nd Place: Sgt Atticus Martinez, "3rd Bn., 5th Marines
overcomes the cold in Bridgeport during MTX 1-25"
3rd Place: Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego,
"Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego 250th Birthday Ball
Message"
(4) Long-Form Production Video:
1st Place: Communication Directorate, "The 250th Marine Corps
Birthday Message"
2nd Place: 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, "America's Vanguard
Force"
3rd Place: Marine Forces Reserve, "250 Years of Marines
Represented in a Uniform Pageant"
(5) B-Roll Videography:
1st Place: Sgt Trent Henry, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit
2nd Place: LCpl Brant Cushman, Marine Corps Combat Service
Support Schools
3rd Place: Sgt Migel Reynosa, 1st Marine Division
(6) Editing:
1st Place: Cpl Francisco Angel, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San
Diego
2nd Place: Sgt Joseph Helms, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit
3rd Place: LCpl Matthew Morales, Communication Directorate
(7) Multimedia Product:
1st Place: Sgt Antonino Mazzamuto, 2d Marine Division
2nd Place: Sgt Alex Fairchild, Marine Corps Combat Service
Support Schools
3rd Place: Sgt Noah Masog, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe
and Africa
(8) Video Story:
1st Place: Cpl Brian Knowles, Marine Rotational Force –
Southeast Asia
2nd Place: Sgt Rowdy Vanskike, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
3rd Place: Sgt Noah Masog, 3d Marine Division
(9) Video Spot:
1st Place: LCpl Allison White, II Marine Expeditionary Force
2nd Place: Sgt Joseph Helms, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit
3rd Place: Cpl Francisco Angel, Marine Corps Recruit Depot,
San Diego
2.e. Communication and Print Winners:
(1) Marine Corps Communicator of the Year:
Cpl Avery Wayland, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit
(2) Marine Corps Writer of the Year:
Cpl Madisyn Paschal, Marine Corps Installations West
(3) Marine Corps Civilian Writer of the Year:
No Awards
(4) Information Story:
1st Place: Sgt Antonino Mazzamuto, 2d Marine Division
2nd Place: 2ndLt Luke Lindsey, II Marine Expeditionary Force
3rd Place: Cpl Jacqueline Akamelu, Marine Corps Installations
West
(5) Feature Story:
1st Place: LCpl Alyssa DeCrane, Marine Corps Installations
East
2nd Place: LCpl Priscilla Flores, Marine Corps Forces Reserve
3rd Place: LCpl Roger Annoh, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific
(6) Photojournalism:
1st Place: Sgt Mary Torres, 2nd Marine Logistics Group
2nd Place: Sgt Randall Whiteman, Marine Corps Air Station
Iwakuni
3rd Place: LCpl Matthew Morales, 3d Marine Division
3. Commanders are highly encouraged to recognize those Marines
identified in this message with the appropriate impact award(s).
4. All winners content, to include second and third place winners,
can be viewed at:
https://www.dvidshub.net/awards/dma/2025?branch=marines
5. All winners, including second and third place winners, will be
recognized at the annual COMMSTRAT Training and Leadership
Development Summit hosted by Communication Directorate and the
United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association the
week of 3-7 August 2026 in the National Capital Region. Commands are
highly encouraged to send their winners TAD to receive their awards.
Information about the event will be published via separate
correspondence by MARADMIN POC. Award winners who are unable to
accept their awards in person will receive them via mail.
6. Award winners and/or their parent commands must notify the
MARADMIN POC of the winners' attendance for the banquet no later
than 17 June 2026.
7. Release authorized by Colonel John O. Caldwell, Director,
Communication Directorate, Headquarters Marine Corps