DoW CIO Opens Nominations for the 26th Annual IT and Cyber Awards

Sept. 22, 2026 –

WASHINGTON - Today, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Department of War, Honorable Kirsten A. Davies announced the call for nominations for the 26th Annual DoW CIO Awards. Now in its 26th year, the prestigious program honors the individuals, teams, and strategic partners across the defense IT and cyber communities who advance innovation and operational excellence. Nominees are recognized for turning strategic visions into operational reality, delivering tangible advantages to forces at the tactical edge, and strengthening readiness, resilience, and lethality.

“We are transforming our technology ecosystem to empower our warfighters with data supremacy and decision dominance,” Davies said. “This awards program is our premier digital talent recognition event. It celebrates the outstanding achievements from within our ranks: the innovators, the risk-takers, and the visionary minds who are building a more lethal, resilient, and agile Joint Force.”

The DoW CIO seeks award nominations from individuals and teams who delivered exceptional results across the following strategic areas:

Building an Enduring Digital Foundation: Strengthening warfighter connectivity and hardening the technology infrastructure, from undersea cables and data centers to satellites to advanced cloud capabilities.
Delivering Agile Capabilities: Fielding software, applications, and analytics at the speedof relevance so forces have the tools to outpace any adversary.
A New Paradigm for Cybersecurity: Transforming cybersecurity into a unified, risk-driven warfighting function that shields the warfighting ecosystem.
Forging Our People and Partnerships: Building the cyber workforce through up-skillingand cross-skilling, and forging partnerships that amplify our strength.

Eligibility has been expanded to include DoW federal and strategic partners. The performance period for the awards is June 2025 through June 2026. Each Component may submit up to 12 nominations in any combination of individuals and teams. For nomination instructions and to submit, visit the DoW CIO Awards site. The deadline for nominations is October 30, 2026, 12:00 pm EST, and the finalists and winners will be announced in November.

Program Page: dowcio.war.gov/Awards

Program Questions: DoW-CIO-Annual-Awards@mail.mil

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At the Billington Cybersecurity Summit, @DeptofWar CIO Kirsten Davies discussed how the Department is accelerating our work to cut the red tape, reform our tools and optimize the acquisition and approval processes to deliver capability to the Warfighter faster and more https://t.co/WS5uwxEZOA

At the Billington Cybersecurity Summit, @DeptofWar CIO Kirsten Davies discussed the challenges of network scale as we work to increase warfighter lethality. “When we think about this at scale, we have things that could break…so it’s not just one problem or the other, it’s a https://t.co/TRVcpyAT45

Digital dominance requires seamless interoperability with our closest allies. The @DeptofWar CIO Hon. Kirsten Davies hosted Australian Secretary of Defence Meghan Quinn to advance critical defense priorities: AI implementation, Program Arcadia, secure communications, and https://t.co/bYYekuKgGK

The events of September 11 remain forever etched into our hearts. The Department of War and the Office of the CIO remember every life taken and stand with the families who carry their legacy forward. This solemn 25th anniversary reinforces our sacred obligation to remain https://t.co/6c1L7iOLzi

DoW CIO Hon. Kirsten Davies took the stage with Alexis Bonnell of @OpenAI for a high-impact fireside chat at Billington Cybersecurity's record-breaking summit, discussing how @DeptofWar is modernizing and transforming its IT and cyber enterprise—cutting friction, delivering https://t.co/mzhWtfzV6s

The @DeptofWar CIO continues evaluating public and industry input on CMMC reform. Recent listening sessions and RFI submissions underscore that inconsistent government CUI designation and portion markings introduce friction across the industrial base. Addressing information https://t.co/QtSAPFY3GN

What an amazing event! Congratulations to the grant winners in the DIBX Pitch Competition, your innovation and success is a great example for all of us. Thank you to Mr. James Mismash and the DIB leaders who attended Hon. Davies fireside chat and provided your insights during our https://t.co/WruW6BjPqY

Engaging more than 4,000 military and civilian leaders at DAFITC, the DoW CIO team conducted a live skills-based assessment evaluating over 150 Airmen, Guardians, and cyber civilians across critical defense roles. Objective evaluations ensure precise talent alignment across the https://t.co/4KIQbSDjJ6

At TechNet Augusta, the DoW CIO team engaged with Army, industry, and academic partners to advance skills-based hiring for the @DeptofWar cyber workforce. Discussions with @AUG_University and University of South Carolina Aiken focused on aligning cyber curricula with defense https://t.co/dqf60SXBqt

The @DeptofWar CIO’s Director of DIB Operations, Cynthia Carpenter, and Director of External Engagement, Marci McCarthy, hosted a collaborative CMMC listening session at yesterday's #DIBX Conference. 60+ defense leaders discussed lowering barriers for small/medium DIB firms, https://t.co/sKL9b9jTxl

National security demands agility, yet legacy compliance processes stall progress. The math simply does not math. Yesterday at the DIBX conference, @DeptofWar CIO Hon. Kirsten Davies and DASW IBG James Mismash, (@BusinessDefense) engaged in a highly dynamic fireside chat on https://t.co/BklolOniJ9

Honorable @DoWCIODavies announced today the presidential appointment of Mr. Sonu Shankar as the new Principal Deputy Chief Information Officer. Mr. Shankar will drive the @DeptofWar information technology, cybersecurity, and digital modernization initiatives, advancing decision https://t.co/JBnGhRrs6f

Congratulations to Mr. Barry Tanner who was named the permanent @USNavy Chief Information Officer. Mr. Tanner drove the implementation of two enterprise service contracts that will have an impact across the Department. He is a ground-breaking leader and an exceptional partner as https://t.co/NfwFiScEId

The @DeptofWar CIO concluded its highly successful spectrum summer internship cohort, culminating in final strategic briefings & a comprehensive communications exercise. Now in its 4th year, the program has grown rapidly from 5 students to 18 this year. Congratulations to all who https://t.co/ouNootXOkM

DEADLINE TODAY: CMMC Reform RFI Closes at 12:00 PM EST! We are breaking down the barriers to accelerate innovation—but we still need your help to make it happen! If you haven’t submitted your responses yet, this is your final opportunity. Don't miss your chance to shape the https://t.co/LFVoYiQqsk

This is what we are hearing from the field. Only two days left to be part of the future at https://t.co/Ik7X7yhnYL: https://t.co/9Oz0ImS8Ev https://t.co/Pod3KVFVKE

Less than 2 days left to submit responses to the CMMC Reform RFI, it closes on August 14 at 12:00 PM. Help us cut the red tape and improve the cybersecurity of the DIB. Be part of the future at https://t.co/Ik7X7yhnYL: https://t.co/9Oz0ImS8Ev https://t.co/z269uewJi4

Hon. Kirsten Davies, DoW CIO, joined Mr. Evan Wolff of Akin Gump for a fireside chat @BlackHatEvents to discuss the generational, non-linear transformation underway at the @DeptofWar. The conversation covered DoW’s shift to treat its entire digital transport layer as a unified https://t.co/87G3AMxY3a

This is what we are hearing from the field. Only four days left to be part of the future at https://t.co/bxYYFFqjtB: https://t.co/9Oz0ImS8Ev https://t.co/BF1s5AWxVV

Ideas are rolling in on how we can best reform CMMC to unleash innovation in the DIB! Only 5 days left to be part of the future at https://t.co/yjOi3hNLP6 https://t.co/9Oz0ImS8Ev https://t.co/JwJF1Ej0f4

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DoW CIO Opens Nominations for the 26th Annual IT and Cyber Awards

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