- Supervised a total of three subordinates for 14 days resulting in two radio networks on six radios and bilateral support of two geographically separate sites.

- Operated as the senior Transmission Systems Operator (STSO) to provide the most remote location with the most experienced communicator for the 15 day duration of (Name of exercise).

- Maintained accountability of four pieces worth $20,000 of Controlled Cryptographic Items (CCI) in accordance with III MEF and Navy Security Guidelines.

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Radio operator LCpl Clark showed great initiative and creativity while attached to Motor Transportation Company and supporting 13 tactical convoys. He quickly applied his knowledge of radio communication to give the convoy multiple, redundant means of communication in every scenario and developed a method to change radio batteries while the convoy was in motion. Due to his efforts, the convoy was able to maintain secure loads and ensured internal and external communications were always operational.

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0629 Transmissions Chief

Gunnery Sergeant Joseph L. White III is enthusiastically recommended for the meritorious service medal while serving as Transmissions Chief, Communications Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company and Communications Chief, Mobile Reconnaissance Company, 2d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2d Marine Division, from April 2023 to July 2024.

Gunnery Sergeant White arrived at 2d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion during an exceptionally challenging and high-tempo period. Upon arrival to the battalion, Gunnery Sergeant White found himself as one of the few Staff Non-Commissioned officers in the Headquarters & Service Company Communications Section and was put into the Position of Transmission Chief, in charge of overseeing all Communications tasks that were needed for the Battalion.

Gunnery Sergeant found himself fully engaged with assisting Charlie Company and Light Mobile Reconnaissance Company (LMRC). Charlie Company, was at a critical stage in its lifecycle, as it prepared to participate in service-level training exercise (SLTE 5-23) at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) 29 Palms. This major SLTE would simultaneously support 6th Marine Regiment as well as serve as Charlie Company's Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation (MCCRE) before it formed as part of Battalion Landing Team 1/8 (BLT) and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). Gunnery Sergeant White was tasked to lead the Communications Marines of 6th Marine Regiment and the Light Mobile Reconnaissance Company (LMRC) in support of Fleet Battle Problem 23 in setting up their Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) and troubleshooting their robust network architecture to allow integrated naval capabilities, distributed logistics, and support for Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations in Second fleets area of operation.

Gunnery Sergeant White was handpicked to lead four Marines to the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic (NIWC) in South Carolina to evaluate the installation and capabilities of the AN/PRC-158, AN/PRC-167 and the AN/PRC-163 radio systems that are the next generation radios that are being integrated into the Light Armored Vehicle 25 (LAV-25) and Light Armored Vehicle Command and Control (LAV-C2) as well as the Department of Defense to allow increased warfighting capabilities across all services with an emphasis on Expeditionary Tactical Capabilities in order to drive innovation and warfighter information advantages.

In accordance with the Commandant's Planning Guidance, 2D LAR was tasked with Reconnaissance/Counter-Reconnaissance (RXR) operations in conjunction with the Stand-in Forces concept. In order to diminish the fleet's littoral water surveillance gaps, 2D LAR stoop up a company that was not within the Table of Organization of a traditional LAR battalion. RXR and surveillance quickly became a communications-intensive endeavor. Gunnery Sergeant White was tasked with Training and Mentoring Marines in using experimental gear that was rarely used in the equipment string to enable maritime reconnaissance. In order to bridge the gap between commercially available maritime data and targetable data quality for the U.S. Navy in addition to our coalition partners, the communications team began to explore Link-16; an already existing capability that the Marine Corps had used in only specific circumstances. To conduct this transition, Gunnery Sergeant White began to explore both hand-held and extraordinary networking capabilities. Over the course of six months, LMRC found a way to take data from a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) radar, translate it into a format that can be used for targeting, and broadcast throughout a fleet Maritime Operations Center (MOC) or a Combatant Command Operations Center. After more than $3 million in equipment procurement and creating a new equipment string to make radar teams self-sustaining and mobile, LMRC is now capable of being deployed in any environment and add value to the Naval Fleet's maritime common operational picture (COP).

During this time, he displayed a will to succeed, exceptional leadership, and a desire to continue to grow the capabilities of Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) amidst a high operational tempo and continuous experimental change throughout the Battalion and the Marine Corps. In order to facilitate communications in the battalion, Gunnery Sergeant White swiftly attacked the problem by utilizing Marine Air Ground Tablets (MAGTAB) made by Kranze Technology Solutions (KTS) Incorporated in the form of a digital interoperability (DI) kit. Upon receiving the kit and studying its capabilities in addition to the transmission mediums that the system utilized, Gunnery Sergeant White discovered the ability to send precise location information (PLI).In order to expand the existing capabilities, Gunnery Sergeant White was in constant contact with the engineers at KTS to utilize these capabilities over the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) to be employed over long ranges by means of Military Satellite Communications (SATCOM). After innumerous man hours and coordination with KTS, the Battalion was able to successfully pass PLI and chat messages using the MAGTABs over the MUOS waveform. To add even additional capabilities, Gunnery Sergeant White feedback enabled KTS to integrate video traffic from the Hand Held Link-16 (HHL-16) BATS-D/PRC-161 and the Hand Held Video down Link (HH-VDL) / PRC-165. Without Gunnery Sergeant White, this rapid innovation and success would not have been possible.

Gunnery Sergeant White was instrumental in building the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance(C5ISR) architecture from the ground up, starting with the collection of an innovative gear set valued at over $3 Million. With the understanding that the standard Table of Organization and Equipment for a Light Armored Reconnaissance Company wouldn't be sufficient for the littoral reconnaissance mission the unit was tasked with, he made liaison with the Defense Information Systems Agency, Kranze Technology Solutions, ViaSat, Silvus, Harris, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Cambridge Pixel, and Persistent systems. Gunnery Sergeant White obtained, maintained, and accounted for all $3 Million worth of ground-breaking equipment in strict accordance with Marine Corps Orders and 2d Marine Division policies, resulting in a very successful inspection results with no discrepancies. This C5ISR was used in the development equipment requirements for Baltic nation's recon spotter teams.

Gunnery Sergeant White enabled seamless Company, Battalion, and Division operations by orchestrating over 100 uninterrupted communications exercises across multiple platforms such as Multiple User Objective Service (MUOS), High Frequency Voice and Data, Very High Frequency, Ultra-High Frequency, and Link-16. Additionally, he spearheaded the training, implementation, and field testing of MPU5 and BATS-D radios, expanding the battalion's communication capabilities significantly. As a committed mentor and educator, he developed and conducted communications courses, enhancing the proficiency and combat readiness of Marines from diverse Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs). Furthermore, Gunnery Sergeant White enabled comprehensive training to 20 MRC Marines on the PRC-161 radio transmitter (a radio rarely seen in the Ground Combat Element), equipping them to effectively integrate into a Link-16 network. GySgt White provided sixty-four (64) hours of classroom lecture, demonstration, and practical application covering the advanced functions and capabilities of the AN/PRC-160, AN/PRC-161,MPU5,Silvus,MAGTAB,ATAK AN/PRC-117G, Cradle point R-1900, Starlink and AN/PRC-152 radios systems and their respective technologies and software, to include Automatic Link Establishment (ALE), Tactical Chat, Communications Planning Application (CPA), Tactical Radio Application eXtension (TRAX), SPx Radar Targeting Software, Sensor Processor and Analysis Radar Translation Application (SPARTA), Tactical Awareness Kit (TAK), and Field Expedient Antennas.

Gunnery Sergeant White was also a key contributor to the success of the battalion's experimental LMRC. This formation, the result of a Commandant of the Marine Corps-directed task, was a key focus of the battalion during his time with the unit. Gunnery Sergeant White attention to detail proved invaluable knowledge in helping to codify this formation within the battalion, which included detachments from various other units along with a variety of experimental technologies.

Gunnery Sergeant White upheld impeccable accountability standards by maintaining 100 percent inventory accuracy of 1,000 pieces of CCI and electronic keys across eight countries and approximately 20 exercises.

In August 2023, Gunnery Sergeant White successfully facilitated five Android Tactical Awareness Kit Phones to allow the CBRN Marines to deployment in support of a combined CBRN Response Element to the bilateral exercise Agile Spirit 23 in the Republic of Georgia, enabling a valuable SME exchange and enhancing relations with a key partner in a strategically significant region.

In September of 2023, Gunnery Sergeant White deployed with the MRC in support of Archipelago Endeavor 2023 in Sweden. During this exercise, Gunnery Sergeant White served as the Communications Chief not only for the MRC, but the entire exercise force. This included a composited element from across the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, including 2d Reconnaissance Battalion, Marine Wing Support Squadron 471, 6th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, 2d Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, and a supporting element from the H&S Company, 2d LAR. This force of 145 Marines and Sailors relied upon Gunnery Sergeant White for his guidance and management of the communications architecture. In this capacity, he helped to build bilateral relationships with a key regional ally and enhance deterrence and reassurance measures in a complex geopolitical environment. During Marine Forces Europe Africa (MFEA) Joint/Combined Exercise Archipelago Endeavor 23 Gunnery Sergeant aided in the execution of bilateral training, including offensive and defensive operations, combined constructive kill exercises and Maritime domain awareness throughout the Swedish Archipelago to the 2nd Amphibious Coy and 2nd Swedish Marine Bn. Prior to the deployment Gunnery Sergeant White was tasked to integrate Special Operations Capability Specialists Communications (SOCS-C) (8071) Marines into the formation to test the function and capabilities of having these Marines attached to the unit and validate future requirements for the development of the Mobile Reconnaissance Battalion while also finding a way for Fleet Marine Force to retain Marines from the Special Operations Command. Gunnery Sergeant White was also hand-selected to speak on behalf of the formation to several US and Swedish media outlets to explain the importance of US and foreign nation combined exercises, effectively supporting the information warfighting function.

Gunnery Sergeant White demonstrated technical mastery in the training and employment of his section across the Continental United States during the Reconnaissance & Surveillance Series and Littoral Exercise Series. The Exercises, taking place over three months and in locations ranging from Key West, FL to Fort Story, VA, Oak Island NC, and Camp Lejeune to validate communications pathways from littoral sensors to joint and theater targeting networks. Beginning in February 2024 and continuing with backyard experimentation as well as two Littoral Exercises, Gunnery Sergeant White and his small section of Marines solved problems that hadn't been solved on an institutional level, including the integration of in to a joint Common Operational Picture, the utilization of Link 16 to tie in to Naval Fixed Wing Aircraft, and the transmission of sensor targeting data originating with small teams of Marines to Fleet Headquarters. During Littoral Exercise II Gunnery Sergeant White spearheaded the planning and coordination of the equipment to be used at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF South) to help conduct detection and monitoring (D&M) operations throughout their Joint Operating Area and to facilitate the interdiction of illicit trafficking in support of national and partner nation security. Through diligent troubleshooting, Gunnery Sergeant White and his team planned, installed, operated, and maintained a network of $3 Million worth of equipment across a geographic area spanning over 1,000 miles. His efforts culminated in the successful connection of littoral data from Marine sensors to JIATF- South MOC via TRAX.

Gunnery Sergeant White personally ensured that his equipment made it into theater, this gear included 60 pieces of Controlled Cryptographic Information and 66 pieces of Classified Material as well as over $3 million worth of non-classified gear.

On arrival to Estonia, Gunnery Sergeant White found himself faced with an extremely complex problem set the connection with Task Force 61/2 and Sixth Fleet Headquarters had been neglected since the last deployment, and connections with the partner nation required navigation of a host of information sharing policies and agreements with no clear answer. Gunnery Sergeant worked hand in hand with a Joint Interface Control Officer (JICO) to iron out the specifics of the connection to Fleet Headquarters, and finding creative solutions to share targeting information with the Estonians without violating Division Security policies. This solution enabled the sensor information from the Mobile Reconnaissance Teams to be disseminated to the Fleet Headquarters, and further enhance the demand signal for his unit and its capabilities.

Gunnery Sergeant White provided targeting data to a multi-function air operations center furthering the development of Force Design 2030 concepts. His advanced technical knowledge of his systems and architecture enabled the Mobile Reconnaissance Company to shift equipment strings rapidly in an ever changing situation ultimately enabling continuous simulated fires on maritime vessels.

Gunnery Sergeant White spearheaded the setup of the Regional Maritime Operations Center to support various mission-critical transmissions services for operations across four disaggregated reconnaissance elements and one company headquarters throughout the company's area of operation. In accordance with force protection initiatives, Gunnery Sergeant White established emissions control and signature management measures to include communications windows, directional antennas, and proper reporting formats. Placing himself at every point of friction, Gunnery Sergeant White led multiple communications contact teams to troubleshoot and support communication shortfalls throughout the course of the deployment. Gunnery Sergeant White's direct actions enabled the force to significantly decrease the decision-making cycle and become more aligned with reconnaissance operations.

Assisted in the development and implementation of a Tactical Awareness Kit server organic to the battalion on SIPR and NIPR enclaves outpacing every Second Marine Division unit in the process. Further, he coordinated with Sierra Nevada Corporation to receive 180 day trial licenses of TRAX on SIPR to create message conversions to translate Mobile Reconnaissance Teams' radar surface tracks to readable information for the US Naval Sixth Fleet. Enabling the configuration of the VMware ESXi host server required for the establishment of subsequent virtualized servers. Mastery of the TRAX software played a key and vital role in the successful integration of Mobile Reconnaissance Teams' radar surface tracks being converted to a readable format for the US Naval Sixth Fleet to pass targetable information to various destroyers and a Carrier Strike Group operating in the vicinity of Estonia and Finland.

His direct intervention was positively felt by two Mobile Reconnaissance platoons and a Company headquarters as he established and trained Marines on the installation, securement, operation, and maintenance of the network infrastructure local to each team

The positive consequence of his tireless efforts was the establishment of Starlink which is a secure, high speed, low latency satcom transmission piece not organic to Fleet Marine Corps units that uses low earth orbit satellites as well as 4G communication, radar surface track transmission, and a common operational picture on SIPR and NIPR enclaves for use throughout the entirety of the exercise at various locations. His creative thinking and technological expertise allowed the first successful integration of live stream small unmanned aerial surveillance footage from a PUMA through the MPU5 to the Tactical Awareness Kit SIPR for key personnel to see in near real-time. Gunnery Sergeant White also was the first one to test and validate the use of the MPU5 which is a Mobile Ad Hoc Networking radio (MANET) to allow the teams to set up the SIMRAD radar with a MPU5 and displace from the site and not have to worry about the risk of having COMSEC or Secret assets at the sites. Gunnery Sergeant White acquired Android Application Packages (APK) that would make the mobile reconnaissance marines more effected and allow them to carry less assets to the field these included SPARTA, PALM, Radio monitor,TAC Chat IP, Zoiper, Front panel, and plugins to allow ease of use for the ATAK phones.

Gunnery Sergeant White worked with the Marine Corps Software Engineers to provide feedback on the Sensor Processor and Analysis Radar Translation Application (SPARTA) that is used to translate the data from the radars, with this feedback Gunnery Sergeant was able to get them to remove the QR code that had to be scanned every time in order to use the applications something that hindered the battalion from using the software in a Secret area due to phones not being able to be in the secure locations to unlock the application. Gunnery Sergeant White also tested the first instance of the PUMA sUAS from SPARTA to the TAK server to show the PUMA live on the COP. They were also able to get the SKYDIO live feed to show on the TAK server before the execution of Spring Storm 24.

Prepared for the 2D LAR MRC RXR24 Deployment. Created a Robust Communications Architecture, developed the radio guard chart, built the manning document, and meticulously constructed the Equipment Density List (EDL). Personally, supervised the embarkation of personnel and equipment, to include Controlled Cryptographic Items (CCI), and ensured the safe arrival of all 2D LAR communications equipment and Marines to Miniisadam Naval Base, Tallinn, Estonia in April of 2024.

From 24 April 2024 through 25 June 2024, Gunnery Sergeant White deployed with the MRC as part of Task Force 61/2 to Estonia in support of maritime domain awareness and reconnaissance-counter reconnaissance operations. As the Communications Chief, his deft managerial skillset was essential to managing the Communications requirements for the deployed force. This included elements embarked aboard foreign vessels and distributed across nearly 250 miles of coastline. He provided sound guidance on communication considerations, resulting in continuous coverage of a critical maritime chokepoint for the Commander, 6th Fleet. Responsible for the set-up and daily management of the company operations center, his oversight of the essential functions of command and control resulted in a sustainable and reliable watch center capable of coordinating subordinate element requirements with higher headquarters intent. This deployment, and Gunnery Sergeant White's contributions to the MRC, will result in a more capable and lethal Marine Corps through its informing of the Mobile Reconnaissance Battalion construct.

Was handpicked to talk to key leaders of Estonia and US Government on future plans of how this country can pass data from them to other NATO countries the answer is to have a Cross Domain solution like Tactical Data link (TDL).

From May 6 to 17 2024, Gunnery Sergeant White provided Communications assist and planning for executing military operations to enhance cooperation between Estonian and allied units to MRP1and Estonian Defense Forces' during the largest annual exercise, Spring Storm, which had nearly 14,000 conscripts, reservists, active-duty personnel, members of the Estonian Defense League, and allied service members participating in the exercise.. Participants of the exercise were from 15 nations, including NATO Battlegroup's soldiers stationed in Estonia and those arrived for the exercises from allied and partner countries. Spring Storm 2024 is part of the NATO exercise series Steadfast Defender 2024, representing a significant component of this extensive NATO exercise. Steadfast Defender 2024 is the largest NATO exercise in decades, with nearly 90,000 participants from all 32 member states participating over a six-month period from January to July 2024. The broader framework for the exercise has been set by confirmed NATO regional defense plans.

As the Company Communications Chief, Gunnery Sergeant White supported in the implementation of the Temporary Compartmentalized Information Facility (TSCIF) capability. His knowledgeable leadership and hard work enabled the TSCIF to have NIPRnet and SIPRnet enclaves within the Infrastructure allowing the successful proof of concept of this highly capable and sensitive equipment. Gunnery Sergeant White planning and follow through to execution of the LMRC formation consistently surpassed expectations while meeting Sixth Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Europe commander requirements throughout the most contested littoral regions in the Baltic Region of Europe.

Connected the Embedded National Tactical Receiver (ENTR) into the TAK Server to provide live tracks for the MOC from the IBS and to the forward teams to enhance situation awareness. This aided the intelligence section to validate the accuracy of the SIMRAD reporting and increase intelligence productivity since no manual has to be done. This alleviates the workload for forward teams since it makes the MOC responsible for setting up the ENTR increasing mission efficiency. Created SOP that enabled teams to receive situational awareness in a more expeditious manner.

As the unit hit its stride in Estonia, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit was transiting in to the area to participate in Baltops. MRC was tasked with providing Maritime Domain Awareness to the Amphibious Ready Group/ Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) team as they entered the area. Gunnery Sergeant White worked directly with 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit personnel to share information from radars, Electronic Warfare pods, small unmanned aerial systems, reconnaissance teams, Light Armored Vehicles, and Rifle Companies. This enabled leaders from the MEU, Task Force, and other agencies to view the location and sensor information from across the nation on a single pane of glass. The integration was a huge success, garnering rave reviews from the MEU commander and resulting in the attachment of a Mobile Reconnaissance Team to the Battalion Landing Team for a future exercise.

Assisted in the development and implementation of a Tactical Awareness Kit server organic to the Estonian Navy. Gunnery Sergeant White worked hand and hand with the Estonian Information Technology personal to help them build a Tactical Awareness Kit Server. They built a working server on one of the host nation's laptops to show them the proof of concepts and he provided them with the information and requirements they will need to make the server run off a Virtual Machine in their server room. They were able to connect and create four Host Nation Android Tactical Awareness kit phones to their TAK server. Gunnery Sergeant White set up the Estonian Navy's Halo 20+ SIMRAD and their NSS evo3S to test the capabilities of their new systems and to help them pass the data to their newly created TAK Server.

Over All Gunnery Sergeant White helped Provide persistent sensing and forward partnering to enhance interoperability with Allies IVO Key Maritime Terrain (maritime chokepoints), Provided task organized Marine Corps forces optimized for resilient maritime sensing as part of the SIF ISO Fleet/ Joint requirements, Provided a small form factor, highly mobile and transportable unit capable of enabling sea denial IVO maritime chokepoints. Facilitated Mil-to-mil (M2M) engagements with the Estonian and Finnish Defense Forces and Navy. Utilized Host Nation assets and infrastructure to enhance tactical mobility and effectiveness. Provided low-signature, unpredictable mobile capabilities should any current ones be degraded. Executed joint and Allied engagements to enhance MDA, integrated fires/ sensor architecture, enhancing interoperability. Contribute to closing naval, joint, and theater kill webs.

Gunnery Sergeant White is an exemplary communicator and leader of Marines. Regardless of his situation and assigned tasks, he makes it a priority to care for his Marines and ensure mission accomplishment. His efforts while serving as a Communications Chief have left a lasting impression within 2d Marine Division and across the Marine Corps.

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0671 Data Systems Administrator

Facilitated the FC/CY training for 32 Marines

Jan to March Accomplishments