Announcement of the Fiscal Year 2026 Commandant of the Marine Corps Combined Awards and Ceremony Event

1.  This message announces the Fiscal Year 2026<br>
(FY26) Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) Combined Awards Program<br>
(CAP).<br>
2.  In accordance with the reference, the CMC will recognize<br>
recipients in the following four awards categories: Recruiter of the<br>
Year, Drill Instructor (DI) of the Year, Marine Security Guard (MSG)<br>
of the Year, and Marine Combat Instructor (MCI) of the Year.<br>
The in-person FY26 CMC CAP ceremony will be held in the National<br>
Capital Region.  Date, time, location, and details regarding travel<br>
will be published via separate correspondence (SEPCOR).<br>
3.  Commanding General (CG) Marine Corps Recruiting Command (MCRC)<br>
will convene a selection board for Recruiter of the Year and<br>
runner-up among regular recruiters and prior service recruiters;<br>
CG, Marine Forces Command (MARFORCOM) will convene a selection board<br>
for MSG of the Year and runner-up and will coordinate with<br>
Commanding Officer, Marine Corps Embassy Security Group (MCESG) to<br>
receive nomination packages; CG Training Command (TRNGCMD) will<br>
convene a selection board for MCI of the Year and runner-up.  <br>
3.a.  These selection endorsements, along with photo, biography, and<br>
professional resume, will be submitted to Training and Education<br>
Command (TECOM) no later than (NLT) 9 November 2026 via SEPCOR<br>
through an Enterprise Task Management Software Solution (ETMS2) task<br>
utilizing the USMC TECOM SPECIAL BOARDS group. <br>
4.  DI of the Year nomination packages are due to CG TECOM NLT<br>
2 November 2026 via SEPCOR ETMS2 task. Each depot will select and<br>
submit one DI of the Year nominee. CG TECOM will convene the<br>
selection board for the DI of the Year nominees (date TBD).  <br>
5.  CG TECOM will serve as the Office of Primary Responsibility to<br>
facilitate the FY26 CMC CAP MARADMIN and ceremony.  Board winners<br>
and the first runners-up results will be announced via MARADMIN.<br>
Additional instructions on award ceremony coordination to include<br>
dates, billeting, uniform, and civilian attire will be included in<br>
the MARADMIN announcing winners and runners-up. Travel for each<br>
awardee and one guest will be executed with unit funds. <br>
6.  All commands will prepare and submit a Navy and Marine Corps<br>
Commendation Medal for their winners and the runners-up via Improved<br>
Awards Processing System (iAPS) to TECOM (M30010) for processing NLT<br>
9 November 2026.  <br>
7.  CG TECOM will endorse and forward award recommendations for all<br>
CMC CAP winners and first runners-up in each category to CMC<br>
(MMPB-31) in iAPS.  Per the reference, CMC is the awarding authority<br>
for all CMC CAP awards and CMC (MMPB-31) will prepare the award<br>
certificates, as required.  Per the reference, CMC CAP winners are<br>
eligible for meritorious promotion.  The names of the CMC CAP<br>
winners will be forwarded to CMC (MMPB-11) for enlisted promotion<br>
screening prior to the results MARADMIN.  Once approved by MMPB-11,<br>
meritorious promotion warrants for all CMC CAP winners may be<br>
prepared at the lowest level of command with the required promotion<br>
authority.<br>
8.  TECOM will coordinate the combined awards ceremony with the CMC<br>
Protocol Office and will publish a Letter of Instruction with<br>
administrative and coordinating instructions.<br>
9.  Release authorized by Lieutenant General T. B. Savage,<br>
Commanding General, Training and Education Command / Deputy<br>
Commandant for Training and Education.