26TH ANNUAL DEPARTMENT OF WAR CIO AWARDS

Honoring the Innovators of our
Digital Foundation.

Recognizing the individuals and teams building a more lethal, resilient, and agile Joint Force. The 2026 nomination portal is now open for all DoW components, Federal partners, and strategic allies. Access official guidance and submit your nominations below.

Start a nomination → See the timeline

Entries close in

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Nominations submitted after the deadline will not be judged for this year's cycle — no exceptions. Give yourself time to gather supporting materials.

How it unfolds

The full timeline

Five stops between now and the ceremony. Mark your calendar — especially the deadline.

Jul 3

Program Announcement

DoW CIO nomination call via CATMS.

Aug 21

Submission Deadline

Final nominations and supplemental documents due to DOW CIO.

Oct 2026

Judging

The review panel scores every entry against the published criteria.

Nov 2026

Winners Announced

DoW CIO announces winners; components confirm attendees.

Dec 9

Awards Ceremony

DoW CIO Annual Awards Ceremony at the Pentagon. Sponsoring organizations fund all travel and arrangements for awardees.

Everything you need

Documents & forms

Three things to open before you start. No hunting through old emails.

PDF

Awards packet

Full program rules, category definitions, and submission instructions.

1.3 MBDownload ↓

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Entry form

Submit a nomination for yourself, your team, or a colleague.

10–15 minOpen form →

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Welcome letter

A short note from CIO leadership on what this year's awards mean.

1 pageRead letter →

Who's eligible & qualified

· Service members O-6 and below (including all Warrant Officer ranks); DoW civilians GS-15 and below; Federal Partners (IC and other federal agencies).
· Contractors may be included on teams led by a Service member or DoW civilian.
· Nominees may NOT be Prior CY23–CY25 winners or honorable mentions; Highly Qualified Experts (HQE);Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) personnel.
· Achievements must have occurred between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.
· Winners' names, rank, service, and citation will be released by the DoW MediaAgency (DMA) via the DoW CIO website, social media, and Defense.gov.

Before you submit

① Read the DoW CIO Annual Awards Program Guidance for eligibility, award categories, and evaluation criteria.
② Verify the nominee has NOT received an award or honorable mention in CY23–CY25.
③ The online form autosaves as you work. Prepare a clear, factual narrative with quantifiable results, then enter it directly in the form.
④ Work with leadership to ensure the nomination is vetted, prioritized, and approved.
⑤ Have the CIO Memo, CFO Memo (if applicable), and professional photo(s) prepared for email submission.

Live as entries come in

Who's in the running

Updated as nominations land. Don't see your team yet? There's still time.

Pillar I

Building an Enduring Digital Foundation

7 entries

01Logistics division

02Data services team

03Facilities & ops

+ 4 more entries

04Digital services team

05Web platform team

06IT infrastructure team

07Digital experience team

Pillar II

Delivering Agile Capabilities

4 entries

01Field support team

02Contact center group

03Team Velocity

+ 1 more entry

04Squad Phoenix

Pillar III

A New Paradigm for Cybersecurity

5 entries

01Regional program office

02Team Sentinel

03Cyber defense unit

+ 2 more entries

04Threat intel team

05Security operations center

Pillar IV

Forging our People and Partnerships

4 entries

01Warehouse crew

02Onboarding team

03Skills forward initiative

+ 1 more entry

04Future ready team

A word from the top

Program leadership

Program sponsor

Hon. Kirsten A. Davies

Chief Information Officer of the Department of War

"Let us use this program to showcase the passion, talent, and strength that makes our Joint Force the most formidable fighting force in the world."

Read the letter →

Spread the word

On social

Posts go live once the program officially announces. Check back here.

The hall of fame

Past recipients

Recent winners. You could be next.

2025

Black Ansible Team, Under Secretary of War (R&E)/ CHENG / Department of the Navy

Team Gold Winner

1st Lieutenant Diego Castanon, United States Air Force

Individual Gold Winner

Major Jean-Luc Duckworth, Defense Contract Management Agency

Individual Gold Winner

EBS-C Capability Requirements Team, United States Army

Team Gold Winner

Europe Infrastructure Services Team, Defense Information Systems Agency

Team Gold Winner

ILER PMO Team, Defense Health Agency

Team Gold Winner

NNSA Assured Communications Team, Department of Energy

Team Gold Winner

Sergeant William J. Smail, United States Special Operations Command

Individual Gold Winner

2024

Mr. Shawn Achziger, Unites States Army / Army National Guard Bureau

Individual Winner

Ms. Audra Brandt, NASIC / United States Air Force

Individual Winner

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Braunstein Netcom, United States Army

Individual Winner

DISA Europe Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO), Defense Information Systems Agency

Team Winner

Maj Terrance Dixon, Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) USCENTCOM / United States Air Force

Individual Winner

Japan Dark Horizon Team, United States Army

Team Winner

Next Generation Air Dominance NGAD Software Factory Team, United States Air Force

Team Winner

Recruiter Services Network Workstation Management Team, United States Army

Team Winner

USTC J6 Audit and Analysis Branch Team, USTRANSCOM

Team Winner

Who can enter

Participating agencies

All staff within these organizations are eligible to submit a nomination.

Independent Agencies & Commissions

Executive Departments

·Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
·Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
·Federal Reserve System
·Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
·National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
·National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
·Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
·Social Security Administration (SSA)

·Department of Agriculture (USDA)
·Department of Commerce (DOC)
·Department of Education (ED)
·Department of Energy (DOE)
·Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
·Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
·Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
·Department of the Interior (DOI)

·Department of Justice (DOJ)
·Department of Labor (DOL)
·Department of State (DOS)
·Department of Transportation (DOT)
·Department of the Treasury
·Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
·Department of War (DOW)
·Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)