U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Steele Armstrong, a satellite transmissions systems operator, and U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jaden Coleman, a transmission systems operator, both with MarineWing Communications Squadron 18, Marine Air Control Group 18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing,set up a radio call during the inaugural Thunderstruck Communications Competition, hosted byMWCS-38, MACG-38, 3rd MAW, at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Sept. 10,2025 - U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Steele Armstrong, a satellite transmissions systems operator, and U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jaden Coleman, a transmission systems operator, both with Marine
Wing Communications Squadron 18, Marine Air Control Group 18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing,
set up a radio call during the inaugural Thunderstruck Communications Competition, hosted by
MWCS-38, MACG-38, 3rd MAW, at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Sept. 10,
2025. Thunderstruck is a service-wide competition dedicated to communications Marines,
showcasing the increasing importance of resilient command and control in distributed operations.
The six-mile course integrated high frequency radio, Mobile User Objective System satellite
communications, and data networking tasks under expeditionary conditions, testing the tactical,
technical, and physical proficiency of Marine Corps communicators. Armstrong is a native of
Minnesota, and Coleman is a native of Florida. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Renee Gray)