Each year, the AFCEA Educational Foundation presents approximately 150 awards for academic excellence in more than 30 educational institutions and training commands of the uniformed services.
Service Academy Commissioning Awards
One of the highest honors AFCEA bestows, this award is presented annually to each of the five service academies. The program was established in the late 1940s to recognize the top graduate from the Department of Electrical Engineering at each academy.
Capt. Boyd R. Alexander, USN, Honor Award
This U.S. Naval Academy Award was first presented in 1949. It was named after Capt. Alexander in 1980. The award is given annually to the graduating midshipman who stands first in electrical engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Brig. Gen. Boyd Wheeler Bartlett, USA, Honor Award
This award was named after Gen. Bartlett in 1981, but has been a tradition at West Point since 1952 when the award was a Hallicrafters radio, model SX-42, a single-conversion general-coverage receiver for AM, FM and continuous wave. It is the AFCEA award for excellence in electrical engineering at the U.S. Military Academy.
Commodore Edward M. Webster, USCG Honor Award
Established in 1959, this U.S. Coast Guard Academy award is presented annually. Commodore Webster was an expert in communications in his naval and business careers. Commodore Webster was responsible for establishing the Coast Guard's ship‐to‐shore radio‐telephone communications system during the Prohibition era. He was awarded the Legion of Merit as Chief Communications Officer during World War II. After tours of duty in both World Wars, he served as commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission from 1947 to 1956.
Astronaut Elliot M. See, Jr., Memorial Award
The top deck or dual license midshipman for outstanding achievement and academic excellence in marine electronics receives this award. It was established in 1978 at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. See was a member of the class of 1949.
Lt. Gen. Gordon T. Gould Jr., USAF, Honor Award
This commissioning award at the Air Force Academy was named after Gen. Gould in 1983. He was an electronics engineer who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1941 and was instrumental in enhancing the communications career field—giving it the recognition it deserved.
AFCEA John McReynolds Wozencraft Award For Academic Excellence in Joint C4I
NPS AFCEA awards were re-named in June 2010 recognizing the worldwide achievements of the late Dr. John McReynolds Wozencraft.
ROTC Commissioning Awards
The commissioning award for graduating ROTC students was established in 1991. This award recognizes ROTC graduates in each service selected for their distinguished academic achievement in the C4I-related fields.
In the Army ROTC program, this award is presented to the newly commissioned officer entering the Signal Corps who stands highest in overall order of merit. For the Air Force and Navy ROTC programs, the top graduating cadet and midshipman in electrical engineering or communication sciences receive the awards.
Lt. Gen. E. W. Snedeker Award, Marine Corps Command & Staff College, Quantico, Virginia
Acknowledging the naming of the AFCEA award, Gen. Snedeker commented in a hand-written letter dated June 4, 1984: “AFCEA is an important organization, and I remember speaking at one of their meetings … I am honored to have such an auspicious award named after me. Many of my 37 years’ service were spent at the Marine Corps Schools … control, communications and intelligence are not always recognized for the vital contribution they make to successful command in combat, or elsewhere.” The first award was given in June 1984.
Col. Donald G. Cook Award, Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare School, Quantico, Virginia
Taken prisoner by the Viet Cong on December 31, 1964, Donald Gilbert Cook was the first Marine officer captured in Vietnam and the only Marine in history to receive the Medal of Honor while a prisoner of war (POW).
PA Research Paper Award, Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Information Resources Management (NDU) College
Research Honor Award, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island
Col. "Sparky" Baird Award, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
The W.J. "Sparky" Baird Award is named after Col. W.J. Baird, USA (Ret.), former general manager of AFCEA and editor of SIGNAL Magazine. Col. Baird became editor of SIGNAL in 1956 and held that position for 18 years. He assumed the additional duty of AFCEA general manager in 1959. That position became AFCEA President in 1977. Col. Baird writes: "To the best of my knowledge, this history of tactical communication is the most valuable and complete presentation about the subject to be found anywhere."