Thunderstruck: Marines compete in first-ever service-wide communications team competition [Image 5 of 14]

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

09.10.2025

Photo by Cpl. Renee Gray 

3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. John Burkheimer, a transmission systems operator with 11th Marine
Regiment, 1st Marine Division, conducts a radio call during the inaugural Thunderstruck
Communications Competition hosted by Marine Wing Communications Squadron 38, Marine
Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar,
California, Sept. 10, 2025. Thunderstruck is a service-wide competition dedicated to
communications Marines, showcasing the increasing importance of resilient command and
control in distributed operations. The six-mile course integrated high frequency radio, Mobile
User Objective System satellite communications, and data networking tasks under expeditionary
conditions, testing the tactical, technical, and physical proficiency of Marine Corps
communicators. Burkheimer is a native of California. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Renee
Gray)

• Date Taken: 09.10.2025
• Date Posted: 09.10.2025 23:06
• Photo ID: 9305546
• VIRIN: 250910-M-WW713-1090
• Resolution: 7920x5283
• Size: 20.89 MB
• Location: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA, US