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Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford gives the keynote speech at the first Marine Corps Association Intelligence Award Dinner Sept. 15, 2011 in Arlington, Va. Four Marines and one civilian were recognized for excellent work in Marine Corps intelligence. The awards are named after Marines who have served the intelligence community.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Daniel A. Wetzel

Marines honored for intelligence

20 Sep 2011 | Lance Cpl. Daniel A. Wetzel

Marines, family members and friends gathered for the first Marine Corps Association Intelligence Awards Dinner Sept. 15 in Arlington, Va.
The awards ceremony was hosted by the Marine Corps Association Foundation in coordination with the Marine Corps Intelligence Department and served as the first occasion to recognize the professional achievements of the top performing Marines in the intelligence field for 2010.
“I felt I was doing my duties,” said Cpl. Jeremy C. Price-Johnson, 2nd Radio Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. “But somebody higher up felt I was deserving of the recognition.”
Price-Johnson was among four Marines and one civilian who received awards for outstanding performance in their field.
“The success that we had while I was in Afghanistan gave me the step up,” he said.
Price-Johnson deployed with Cryptologic Support Team 17 to Nangarhar Province Afghanistan in 2010.
Like most intelligence Marines, Price-Johnson helps to win the battles behind the scenes.
“So often we do our business quietly, without a whole lot of fanfare,” said Brig. Gen. Vincent R. Stewart, director of intelligence. “We’re rarely recognized for it. These Marines are truly committed to being a part of something that is greater than themselves.”
Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, said Marine intelligence is as relevant, capable and respected today as in anytime of his career and potentially in recent history.
“It wasn’t always this way,” Dunford said. “But now, you can’t practice maneuver warfare, you can’t think about maneuver warfare without thinking about intelligence.”
Dunford said, since the 90s, the intelligence community developed new doctrine and a program that would better support the Marine Air Ground Task Force and improve the intelligence field.
“Despite all of the improvements that have been made, I think the single most important thing we did was invest in human capital; the training and education of Marines,” Dunford said. “We came up with career tracks that would develop Marines with the ability to adapt and change over time. That’s why I’m so confident in Marine Corps Intelligence tonight.”
“A plan was created to take Marine intelligence to the next level,” Dunford said. “Great Marines brought us to that level, which is where we are today.”
The awards presented were named after Marines who have served honorably in the intelligence community.
Price-Johnson received the Lance Cpl. James E. Swain Marine Enlisted of the Year award.
Capt. Tyson M. Ackermann, signal intelligence and ground warfare officer with Company B, 3rd Radio Battalion, received the Lt. Col. Michael D. Kuszewski Marine Corps Intelligence Officer of the Year award.
Gunnery Sgt. Alan R. King, intelligence specialist with Company A, 1st Intelligence Battalion, received the Master Gunnery Sgt. Samuel C. Plott Staff Noncommissioned Officer of the Year award.
Cpl. Raymond P. Weeks, intelligence specialist with 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, received the Master Sgt. Charles C. Arndt Noncommissioned Officer of the Year award.
Craig Clarke, an open source analyst with Marine Corps Intelligence Activity, received the Mr. John J. Guenther Intelligence Civilian of the Year award.
An additional award was given to the 1st Intelligence Battalion for being the intelligence unit of the year from the director of intelligence.
“The community is in great shape because of the individuals these awards are named after and because of the Marines following in their footsteps,” said Dunford. “The tradition has been passed on.”


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