Active Duty|News

Members of the Defense Media Activity, Sgt Annika Moody, MGySgt Chad McMeen and Sgt Alex Smith pose with their National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter Emmys after winning the category 17C “Military – Program Feature / Segment.”

This has been an incredible year of first-time accomplishments for Marines in the communication field. 

First, Sgt Matthew Callahan shocked the community by securing both the DoD Videographer and Photographer of the year titles and on Saturday June 23^rd another Marine team had a historic first.

Master Gunnery Sergeant Chad McMeen, Sergeant Annika Moody and Mr. Grant Stolz from the Defense Media Activity’s Marine production team walked the red carpet to receive an Emmy Award for a video feature focused on the Body Bearers of Marine Barracks Washington D.C.

This is the first time Marines have won, or been nominated for, this prestigious award. As a testament of the quality work coming out of DMA, four other Emmys were earned this year with two regions yet to hold ceremonies.  Each service represented their branch with individual wins in a variety of categories in regional chapters across the country.

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Please join me in congratulating CC Col. Annita Lane Best on her retirement this week following 30 years of service. Elsewhere on FB news pages her ceremony at Camp Lejeune is pictured. Anita is a long-time member and strong supporter of the USMCCCA. We wish her well in retirement.

10 November 2014 A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS In his birthday greeting 70 years ago, General Alexander Vandegrift, our 18th Commandant, noted that, “A birthday is a fitting time to peer backward – and forward.” That year, Marines reflected on an extraordinary year in combat during Read more…

Hard-charging CC, Staff Sgt. Brian Tuthill, an instructor in DINFOS’ Public Affairs Department, earned the highest grade point average of Career Course Class 4-14 at the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy Quantico, Va. The Santee, Calif. native graduated on June 11 and was also placed on the Enlisted Professional Military Education Read more…

Staff Sgt. Joshua M. Souza, Basic Multimedia Reproduction Course instructor at the Defense Information School (DINFOS), reads his poem “Remember the King” at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday observance. Souza placed first in a DINFOS poetry contest. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Gregory N. Juday/Released)

The poem below was written by Marine Corps DINFOS Visual Information instructor SSgt Joshua M. Souza in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King. It earned 1st Place among all the students, faculty and staff who entered the contest. Souza and the top three poets narrated their poems in the DINFOS Hall of Heroes today at noon. DINFOS Commandant Col. Jeremy Martin, U.S. Army, praised the offerings as some of the finest Memorials to Dr. King that he has ever witnessed.

Remember the King

Re-live, reflect, remember, respect, Move forward… but never forget.

Some chose to sit, while others chose to stand, Long after their families had escaped the brand, Created equal and free, yet unable to be, These warriors of justice fought for nothing but peace.

Re-live, reflect Remember, respect, Move forward…but never forget.

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United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association lifetime member, Reinhild “Ms. Jacki” Huneycutt, was recognized for her 43 years of service at a surprise retirement party at Sywanyk’s Scarlet & Gold Traditions in Jacksonville, N.C., Dec. 12. Marines with the public affairs offices aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Read more…

Cpl. Matthew Callahan currently attending the Basic Public Affairs Specialist Course at DINFOS will likely be interviewed Nov. 29 for a segment on the nationally broadcast FOX and Friends morning show.  Callahan is a former infantryman/wounded warrior-turned-photojournalist.  He uses his Instagram photo blog “bridgingthegap_ ” to show the boots-on-the-ground view Read more…

Jennie Piccoli, center, pins the colonel’s insignia on her husband, Col. Francis Piccoli, during a promotion ceremony Friday (Aug. 2), at Cafe Giovanni in the French Quarter. Piccoli is director of public affairs for Marine Forces Reserve, whose headquarters is in Algiers. Their younger son, Anthony, is in the background. Read more…

CCs may remember Yolanda Mayo, now a reserve sergeant major of Marine Air Control Squadron 24 and, in her other life, Operations Officer, Marine Corps Community Services at Camp Lejeune. She recently received a National Image Award from National Image, Inc., an organization that recognizes achievements of Hispanics. A complete write up of the award can be read by following the link below. We reminded Yolanda that she has many times said: “I will always be a CC.” She left the field a few years ago so that she could be promoted and has obviously succeeded big time!

Story by Lance Cpl. Jackeline Perez Rivera
Via DVIDS

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – A well-known Marine reservist, who works in a civilian capacity aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, was awarded a National Image Award in Los Angeles last week.

Since 1971, National Image, a nonprofit organization, advocated for Hispanics and helped provide opportunities for leadership development through conferences and other means.   Every year the group honors two service members from each branch of service, and this year Sgt. Maj. Yolanda Mayo, the sergeant major of Marine Air Control Squadron 24, was honored for her dedication and support to Hispanics and to community service.

Mayo works aboard MCB Camp Lejeune as the deputy operations officer for Marine Corps Community Services.

Mayo has a strong identity and personality. Sgt. Maj. Ernest Hoopii, the sergeant major of Marine Corps Installations East-MCB Camp Lejeune described her as positive, cheerful, enthusiastic, well intentioned and sincere.

Those traits have taken her far in her career, but the mother of two has not forgotten her culture or her family.

When her daughter was 15 she planned her daughter’s Quiceanera, a rite of passage for Hispanic girls similar to a sweet sixteen. While the traditions associated with the celebration vary between countries and religions they all include a large formal celebration that brings friends and family together to celebrate the occasion.

“Around here nobody heard of it before,” said Mayo. “It was really cool to be able to share my heritage.”   Mayo is Mexican and Irish. She was raised in Michigan and feels she was never treated differently because of her race.

“My last name was Sanchez,” she said. “(My sisters and I) were the only ones but it was okay. We grew up around a lot of different cultures.”

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Mike McClung father of Major Megan M. McClung who died in Iraq, Dec. 6, 2006, was part of an interview with Jim Miklaszewsk, NBC World News tonight on the idea of women in combat.