NEW "ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE" AWARD

We all are aware of the importance of continuing Professional Military Education throughout the ranks, Officer and Enlisted. There are now multiple options to complete required Sergeant, Career and Advanced courses. The Association understands the level of effort it takes for any Marine serving in the Reserves to complete their PME requirements for promotion. Some ten years ago, we realized those attending these schools, those Marines who held a full time civilian job and seeking to excel in the Reserves, were not being properly recognized for their efforts.

To correct this, we began sponsoring two awards which are presented at each Reserve enlisted PME class held at MCB Quantico, MCB Camp Lejeune and 29Palms. The awards are presented to the "Honor Graduate" and the "Gung Ho" Marines. The Honor Graduate award is named after Medal of Honor recepient, SgtMaj Allen J. Kellogg. The Gung Ho award is named after none other than the Marine who introduced the phrase "Gung Ho" into Marine Corps lore, BGen Evans Carlson. There will now be a new "Academic Excellence" award, presented to the Marine who graduates from one of the classes with the highest grade point average.

The Association is honored to name this award after Col. Mark Cancian, USMCR (Ret). Mark currently serves as a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) International Security Program writing about military forces and operations.  Since 2000, he has been an adjunct faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where he teaches a course on the connection between policy and analysis. A prolific author, he has published over 40 articles on military operations, acquisition, budgets, and strategy and received numerous writing awards. He graduated with high honors (magna cum laude) from Harvard College and with highest honors (Baker Scholar) from Harvard Business School.