Congratulations to the 2025 Copernicus Award Winners
AFCEA International and the U.S. Naval Institute are honored to recognize individuals each year
who are selected based on their sustained superior performance in a C4I/IT-related job.
The 2025 Copernicus Award winners were recognized for their accomplishments in the
2024 fiscal year at the WEST 2025 conference and exposition in San Diego.
Well done, Copernicus awardees!
U.S. Navy
Joe L. Betts
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division
IT1 Christopher J. Bliss, USN
USS Lake Erie (CG 70)
Lt. Cmdr. Travis L. Carter, USN
Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command Detachment West
Jason A. Cisler
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility
Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin A. Fox, USN
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command
RWC Ryan T. Fox, USN
Unmanned Patrol Squadron ONE NINE (VUP-19)
ET1 Staal M. Githinji, USN
Tactical Communications Command ONE
Lt. Cmdr. Jaclyn N. Istilart, USN
USS WASP (LHD 1)
William Y. Joo
NAVWAR
Lt. j.g. Justin S. Miller, USN
USS MICHAEL MURPHY
Lt. j.g. Andre S. Pham, USN
USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC 19)
Darren N. Powell
Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific
CWTCS Nicholas F. Tarnay, USN
United States Special Operations Command
Lt. Cmdr. Austin R. Van Olst, USN
Carrier Strike Group 11
CTI1 William A. Viarnes, USN
Naval Special Warfare Development Group
Lt. Paul A. Williams, USN
Cyber Strike Activity 63
CWTC Andrew S. Wolter, USN
Defense Information Systems Agency, Europe
U.S. Marine Corps
Rodrick S. Adams
Marine Corps Systems Command
Marcus R. Ashcraft
Combat National Mission Team One
Michael A. Bosch Van Drakenstein
2nd Network Battalion, Marine Corps Cyberspace Operations Group
Sgt. Aidan Causil-Baggott, USMC
Marine Corps Cyberspace Warfare Group
Capt. Christian M. Thiessen, USMC
I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group
Maj. Caleb Y. Wu, USMC
Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18 (MWCS-18)
U.S. Coast Guard
ITC Colleen V. Civils, USCG
United States Coast Guard Base Guam
Lt. Kaitlyn S. Devalk, USCG
2003 Cyber Protection Team
CWO David A. Poling, USCG
Coast Guard Cyber Command
ET1 Anthony J. Smith, USCG
Coast Guard Cutter KIMBALL
