FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. — Leaders in cyberspace defense, intelligence modernization and space integration across the Marine Corps Information Command enterprise were recognized for excellence during the Marine Corps Association Information Awards Dinner in Alexandria, Va., May 29, 2025.
The ceremony honored Lt. Col. Jameson Payne as Maritime Space Officer of the Year, Sgt. Thomas Campbell as Cyberspace Warfare Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and Victor Reyes as the John J. Guenther Marine Corps Intelligence Civilian of the Year. The annual awards spotlight individual initiative and leadership that sharpen the Marine Corps’ edge in information warfighting.
“I was selected because I was in charge of an exceptional team, not because I am exceptional myself,” said Lt. Col. Jameson Payne, operations officer for Marine Corps Forces Space Command.
A Washington state native who commissioned in 2008, Payne spent a decade in infantry and reconnaissance assignments, including combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, before earning a master’s in electrical engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School and moving into space operations. As operations officer for Marine Corps Forces Space Command, he expanded Marine Space Detachment (MSD) training and incorporated space effects into conventional fire-support doctrine now spreading across the joint force.
“Given my experience with fires and maneuver, I recognized an opportunity to fix space fires using conventional fires doctrine,” said Payne. “This was a risky endeavor, and I accepted responsibility if it failed. By doing so I also got credit when it succeeded. Credit that largely belongs to the captains at the MSD.”
At the Marine Corps’ cyber stronghold at Fort Meade, Campbell leads Marines guarding the digital front lines. The Chicago native and cyberspace warfare operator with 700 Cyber Support Team led the rollout of a new analytic tool that broadened intelligence collection for Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command and documented the process so others could replicate it.
“The award reminded me how much impact we can have in a job that’s often a long, thankless grind,” said Sgt. Thomas Campbell, cyberspace operator with 700 Cyber Support Team, Joint Task Force–Ares. “It proves even the most menial of tasks can be turned into something to be celebrated.”
Inside Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command headquarters, Reyes drives the command’s signals-development efforts. The former Army staff sergeant. pairs a master’s in national security with graduate certificates in intelligence analysis and leadership to lead projects that sharpen threat detection and knit together interagency partners.
“It’s a tremendous honor and a humbling reminder that the mission always comes first,” said Victor Reyes, signals-development lead with 700 Cyber Support Team, Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. “Knowing that my work plays a direct role in defending the homeland is incredibly fulfilling.”
Marine Corps Information Command, activated in 2022, synchronizes the Corps’ cyber, space, intelligence and communication strategy efforts to give Fleet Marine Force commanders decision advantage across the information environment. From refining offensive cyber tactics to integrating space effects with conventional fires, MCIC closes seams between emerging domains and traditional maneuver.
This year’s awardees embody that mission. Their work—spanning prototype space systems, threat-detection analytics and forward-leaning cyber training—shows how innovative Marines and civilian professionals are expanding the Corps’ reach, resilience and lethality wherever information decides the fight.
| Date Taken: | 06.03.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.03.2025 13:05 |
| Story ID: | 499527 |
| Location: | FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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