FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. — U.S. Marine Corps Col. Jamel Neville, commanding officer of the Marine Corps Cyberspace Warfare Group, emphasized the growing importance of cyber readiness and unity of effort during a keynote address at HammerCon 2025, the Military Cyber Professionals Association’s national convention, held June 26 at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
Neville addressed an audience of service members, industry experts, academic researchers and interagency partners. His message echoed the Department of Defense’s 2023 Cyber Strategy and U.S. Cyber Command’s most recent posture guidance: cyberspace is a warfighting domain, and Marines are ready to fight and win in it.
“The Warfare Group’s primary objective is to field the nation’s premier cyber forces, capable of achieving objectives within joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational operations,” Neville said. “We exist to fight and win in cyberspace, not just to administer checklists. Our mindset is warfighting. Our forces are expeditionary. Our impact is measurable.”
Neville highlighted the group’s recent operational advancements, including the activation of a dedicated war room at Fort Meade, real-time threat emulation through purple teaming, and the deployment of the first-ever Marine Cyber Rotational Force to the Indo-Pacific Command theater.
“Both the war room and purple teaming are key to optimizing readiness,” Neville said. “The war room enables CPTs to operate with rear-echelon analytic support, providing real-time adversary tracking and network visibility. Purple teaming lets us run internal red-versus-blue, force-on-force training to pressure-test our tactics, techniques and procedures against real-world threats.”
HammerCon, now in its fourth year, is a flagship event for the military cyber community. This year’s theme, “Winning Together: Innovation – Inspiration – Initiative,” emphasized the need for integrated approaches to cybersecurity in an era of increasingly complex threats to U.S. infrastructure and digital sovereignty.
Throughout the day, Marines from MCCYWG participated in panels, technical exchanges and cyber village sessions alongside specialists from private industry, the Department of Energy, academia and international defense partners.
For Neville, the keynote was about more than showcasing MCCYWG’s capabilities. It was a chance to reinforce the Marine Corps’ role in the future of cyberspace operations.
“The Marine Corps is not a supporting effort in cyberspace,” Neville said. “Marines are positioned as the premier organization delivering non-kinetic effects on behalf of the Fleet Marine Force and joint force commanders. We are in contact globally with our nation’s top adversaries every day.”
HammerCon 2025 featured speakers from across the cyber enterprise, including U.S. Cyber Command, the National Security Agency and leading technology firms. The event also included demonstrations of cyber defense technologies, career and hiring forums, and breakout sessions on topics such as artificial intelligence integration, information warfare and joint targeting.
MCCYWG’s presence at the event continues to reflect its mission: organizing, training, equipping and sustaining cyber forces capable of supporting the Fleet Marine Force and the joint warfighting community.
As the Department of Defense deepens its investments in cyberspace capabilities, leaders like Neville are shaping the future fight. It is a future built on integration, initiative and an unshakable commitment to defending the nation’s digital battlespace.
In recognition of his leadership and contributions to the military cyber community, the Military Cyber Professionals Association announced Neville as a recipient of “The Order of Thor,” the organization’s highest honor. The award, which recognizes significant contributions to the profession through leadership, innovation and mentorship, will be formally presented following his upcoming change of command.
“Together, our world-class talent will remain ready and capable of creating and exploiting information advantages from the tactical to strategic levels of warfare, in any warfighting domain,” Neville said. “Our commitment to trust, teamwork and core values drives us forward.”
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2025 08:07 |
| Story ID: | 501665 |
| Location: | MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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