Naval Intelligence Essay Contest

The NIP Essay Contest is conducted in cooperation with the United States Naval Institute (USNI). Rules and deadlines are promulgated through an ALLNIP email and published on both the NIP and USNI websites during the March/April timeframe. Entries are due by the end of July. Winners are usually announced in early September.

Each year NIP will identify a theme pertaining to maritime intelligence or intelligence support to naval forces. Any author (officer, enlisted, military or civilian, foreign or domestic) is eligible to enter with an original composition related to the annual theme.

The following prizes will be awarded:

1st Place: $5,000 cash prize,  a 1-year membership to NIP and USNI. Additionally, the first place essay will be published in USNI’s Proceedings.
2nd Place: $2,500 case prize, a 1-year membership to both NIP and USNI
3rd Place: $1,500 cash prize, a 1-year membership to both NIP and USNI 

Contest Status:

CLOSED
Congratulations to the 2022 Essay Contest Winners!

1st Place: "Alone and Afraid: Revitalizing the Enlisted Ship’s Intelligence Officer" (NIEC #11-22) By Chief Petty Officer John Minor, USN

2nd Place: "Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Integration Through Force Design 2030" (NIEC #21-22) By Captain Robert Holmes, USMC

3rd Place: "Lesson from Ukraine: Assessing Capability is More than Just Counting Guns" (NIEC #17-22) By Robert McKeown

Awardees 

2021
1st Place: “Warhols, Kennans and Murrays: A Concept for Professional Development Across the Naval Intelligence Community” - By Lieutenant Kyle Cregge, USN and Lieutenant Shane Halton, USN
2nd Place: “Human Geography for Intelligence Advantage” - By Major Brian Kerg, USMC
3rd Place: “Persistent Forward Employment for Maritime Reconnaissance and Counterreconnaissance” - By Captain Michael Van Liew, USMC

2020
1st Place: CDR Christopher Nelson, USN and Andrew Rhodes: “Strike A Balance: Embrace Analog Tools in a Digital Intelligence Profession” (Reprinted from Proceedings with permission; Copyright © 2020 U.S. Naval Institute/www.usni.org.)
2nd Place: Maj Brian Kerg, USMC: “Naval Intelligence for Maritime COIN”
3rd Place: LT Sean Margot, USN and LCDR Tyson Meadors, USN: “HC SVNT DRACONES — There Be Dragons” 

2019
1st Prize: Commander J. Michael Dahm, USN (Ret)
2nd Prize: Commander Christopher Nelson, USN and Eric Pedersen
3rd Prize: LT Commander James Landreth, USN

2018
1st Prize: 1LT Christian Helmer Heller, USMC - “Rethinking Counterintelligence: The 21st Century Need for Multi-Discipline Task-Organized Teams” 
2nd Prize: LCDR Wolf Melbourne, USN - “Ten Years on the Beach”
3rd Prize: LT William N. Murray, USN - “Want to Win Great Power Competition? Professionalize Initial Naval Intelligence Officer Training Now”

2017
1st Prize: CDR Heather Bothwell, USNR - “Lessons from Cold War History: Man, Train and Equip the Navy to Know Tomorrow’s Adversary”
2nd Prize: CAPT William R. Bray, USN (Ret.) - “Intelligence Needs Regional Career Paths”
3rd Prize: CAPT Dale C. Rielage, USN - “Ocean Surveillance for the Future”

2016
1st Prize: LT Andreas Xenachis, USNR - “Nurturing a Revolution in Decision-Making Through Improved Geopolitical Foresight” - $5,000 + 1-year USNI Membership
2nd Prize: CDR J. Michael Dahm, USN - “Integrate to Dominate”  - $2,500 + 1-year USNI Membership
3rd Prize: CDR Nathaniel (Nate) Bailey, USNR - “What Is Past Is Prologue”

2015
No contest

2014
1st Prize: Captain Mark D. Houff, USN
2nd Prize: Ms. Reychal Windham
3rd Prize: First Lieutenant Adam Davis, USA

2013
1st Prize: Commander Mark D. Houff, USN
2nd Prize: Mr. Ryan D. Martinson
3rd Prize: Ms. Jacquelyn Schneider

2012
1st Prize: Commander Mark D. Houff, USN
2nd Prize: Mr. Thanh Dinh
3rd Prize: Ms. Jacquelyn Schneider

2011
1st Prize: Mr. Steve Coonen
2nd Prize: LT Daniel T. Murphy, USN
3rd Prize-Expeditionary:  LTC Gregory Motes, USA

2010
No contest

2009
1st Prize: CDR D. Mark Houff, USN
2nd Prize: CAPT Mark D. Dowd, USNR

2008
1st Prize: CAPT Paul B. Becker, USN
2nd Prize: LTJG Edward P. Wynne, USN

2007
1st Prize: LCDR Rory Berke, USN
2nd Prize: LCDR Robert F. Hight, Jr, USN

2006
1st Prize: Mr. Jose Delgado
2nd Prize: LT David Barr, USN

2005
1st Prize: LCDR James Griffin, USN
2nd Prize: CDR William R. Bray, USN

2004
1st Prize: CDR Jason Hines, USN

2003
1st Prize: LCDR Michael Studeman,USN