R 201521Z DEC 24 MARADMIN 624/24 MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC CD WASHINGTON DC//  SUBJ/2024 DEFENSE MEDIA AWARDS AND MARINE CORPS VISUAL INFORMATION  AND EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNICATION AWARDS PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT//  REF/A/MARINE CORPS VISUAL INFORMATION AND EXCELLENCE IN  COMMUNICATION AWARDS PROGRAM SOP-CY2024//  NARR/REF A, IS THE MARINE CORPS GUIDANCE AND PROCEDURES FOR  SUBMISSION INTO THE MARINE CORPS AWARDS PROGRAM AND SUBSEQUENT ENTRY INTO THE DEFENSE MEDIA AWARDS.  LINK TO REF A IN MESSAGE BODY.//  POC/W. E. SPRADLIN/CWO5/HQMC CD/TEL: (703) 614-1494/EMAIL:   WADE.SPRADLIN@[email protected]//  POC/K. L. MCDOLE/GYSGT/HQMC CD/TEL: (703) 614-1494/TEL: DSN   224-1494/EMAIL: [email protected]//  GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  Purpose:  This MARADMIN announces the call for   nominations for the 2024 Defense Media Awards and the 2024 Marine  Corps Visual Information and Excellence in Communication (VIEC)  awards program.  This program recognizes Communication Strategy and Operations (COMMSTRAT) units, officers, enlisted Marines, and  civilians whose leadership, writing, photography, videography,  graphic design, and communication planning have promoted the Marine  Corps and demonstrated outstanding achievement in furthering the  objectives of the Service and U.S. Department of Defense.  2.  Background:  The Defense Media Awards program is administered by  the Defense Media Activity (DMA) under the authority of Department  of Defense Directive 5105.74, “Defense Media Activity.”   The Marine  Corps VIEC awards program is administered by HQMC Communication  Directorate (CD) and the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents  Association (USMCCCA).  The Marine Corps VIEC program is used to  select Service winners. First place winners will be elevated to  compete in the Defense Media Awards program.  3.  Eligibility:  Graphic design, photography, videography, and  print VIEC award categories are open to second lieutenants-captains,  privates-staff sergeants, and warrant officer-chief warrant officer  3, to include reserve Marines on active duty, reserve Marines  attending regular drills, members of mobilization training units for  COMMSTRAT, and any Government Service (GS) civilians assigned to  COMMSTRAT.  The “Communication Plan of the Year” award is open to  all grades and rank based “Of the Year” awards are open to all  eligible grades of the associated MOS.  All entrants must be  officially engaged in the production of VI for the Marine Corps.    See reference (a) for further information on eligibility.  4.  Submission entries into the Marine Corps VIEC awards program and  DMA program will be accomplished through the Defense Visual  Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) at  https:(slash)(slash)www.dvidshub.net.  Enter through the awards  media contest interface module within admin tools.  Entries not  uploaded to DVIDS as required in the category descriptions will be  disqualified.  Send COMMSTRAT Unit/Marine/SNCO/Visual Information  Officer/Officer of the Year nominations and communication plan  category entries to MARADMIN POCs.  Marines may submit no more than  one submission per category.  Units may only submit one Marine for  each COMMSTRAT of the Year category.   5.  All content must have been created and published on DVIDS  between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024.  Submissions for the  Marine Corps VIEC awards program must arrive by 2359 EST, 11  February 2025.  All entries must be submitted in accordance with  contest guidelines, reference (a), contained in the 2024 Defense  Media Awards program SOP and Marine Corps VIEC SOP found at  https(slash)(slash)www.dvidshub.net/awards/guidelines.  Improper  submissions will be disqualified unless fixed by the submitter/unit  prior to the deadline date.   6.  COMMSTRAT-specific awards include:  6.a.  Communication Strategy and Operations Marine of the Year  6.b.  Communication Strategy and Operations SNCO of the Year  6.c.  Communication Strategy and Operations Visual Information  Officer of the Year  6.d.  Communication Strategy and Operations Officer of the Year  6.e.  Communication Strategy and Operations Unit of the Year  7.  For the full list of Marine Corps award categories and VIEC SOP  visit reference (a) at the link above.  8.  Submissions will be subject to major command judging.  Five  major commands will be used to judge at the regional level in order  to submit the most competitive entries to the branch level.  Refer  to reference (a) for more information.  9.  Winners will be notified by MARADMIN.  Awards will be presented  at the annual COMMSTRAT Training and Leadership Development Summit.  Details will be passed via SEPCOR.  10.  Contact POCs for further information and clarification of  submission guidelines.    11.  Release authorized by SES April Langwell, Director of   Communication, Headquarters Marine Corps, Communication  Directorate.//