Announcement of the Marine Corps Cyber Games for the Fall 2025 Service-Wide Capture the Flag Competition

1. Purpose. This message announces the Fall
Service-wide Cyber Capture the Flag (CTF) competition taking
place from 01 October – 14 November 2025.  The Fall event will be
a Cyber Red Zone CTF, focused specifically on Offensive Cyberspace
Operations (OCO).  The Deputy Commandant for Information (DC I),
in partnership with the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems
Division (NAWCTSD), the National Cyber Range Complex under the DOD
Test Resource Management Center, will organize a remote CTF event
with SECRET access provided through the Joint Information Operations
Range (JIOR). The CTF competition provides a venue where Marine
cyberspace operators can compete in a tailored scenario to complete
cyber challenges of varying difficulty to capture objectives,
referred to as cyber flags. The teams are given 16 hours over a
two-day period to obtain as many cyber flags as possible. 
2. Background. On 1 March 2018, the Marine Corps established an
occupational field dedicated to the professionalization of
cyberspace operators.  In January 2020, discussions began for
developing a setting in which Marine cyberspace operators could
compete, share expertise, and hone tactics, techniques,
and procedures to increase cyberspace effectiveness and readiness
across the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) and Cyberspace Mission Force
(CMF) on a secure network.  To address this challenge, DC I began
hosting the Marine Corps Cyber Games and participating in CTF
competitions.  These events have provided a venue to foster
camaraderie among the community and opportunities for Marines to
display their skills in a competitive environment. Additionally,
as has been the case in past CTFs, highly qualified cyber volunteers
from the Marine Corps Cyber Auxiliary will be on standby to train,
educate, assist, and mentor Marines as they compete.  The intent of
the Marine Corps Cyber Games is ultimately to accelerate excellence
through competition. 
3. Action Items. The intended participants for this event are
cyberspace operators from the DCO-IDM Companies and the Cyber
Mission Force.  To find an open session, please go to the event
registration site located at:   https:(slash)(slash)intelshare.
intelink.gov/sites/te/CyberRedZone/_layouts/15/start.aspx#
/SitePages/Home.aspx and register your team for this event.
If you are unable to access the link, please email the following
information to: GySgt Weston Warren at weston.warren@usmc.mil,
GySgt Sammuel White sammuel.white1@usmc.mil, and Dr. Wells at
wwells@ida.org. 

Session: _________ 

Team name:  ______  

Service/Agency: ______ 

Command/Organization: ________ 

Participation Location: _____ 

JIOR/JMN Designator: _____ 

Site POCs: 

Primary POC: _______ 

Email: _________ 

Phone: _________ 

Team POC: _________ 

Email: _________ 

Phone: ________ 

3.A. The Event Owner will permit up to five teams to participate in
each session of this event.  Due to range constraints, the
competition will split into 10 two-day sessions, for a total of 50
teams.  Finalized team participant rosters are due prior to the
associated session communications check.  Recommended team size is
between 5-10 members (limit of 10 per team) with defensive/offensive
cyberspace skillsets. 
3.B. Command Representation.  This CTF is open to all services to
enhance competition.  DC I will sponsor the winning Marine Corps
teams (one Active, one Reserve) to represent the Marine Corps at 
the System Administrator, Audit, Network and Security (SANS)
Service Cup. If funding is available, only the winning Marine Corps
team will receive funding to the SANS Service Cup.
Teams at SANS Service Cup are limited to five members. 
3.C. Timeline.  The timeline for the CTF competition is in
paragraph 3.C.1 through 3.C.5.  Dates are subject to change
and will be posted on the registration portal. 
3.C.1. Information Maneuver Division (IMD) will submit the initial
Interconnection Security Agreement (ISA) by 01 August.
Any new or unidentified range sites must be submitted NLT 08 August
so that an addendum to the ISA can be submitted.  (*Participation
in CTF is subject to ISA approval.)
3.C.2. 08 August: CTF registration deadline. 
3.C.3. During Comms Check, a CTF Intelligence drop and virtual
fly-away kit will be provided to participants.

3.C.4. Session Dates: 

Session # 1          Dates: 1 Oct - 2 Oct        Comms Check: 30 Sep 

Session # 2          Dates: 6 Oct - 7 Oct        Comms Check: 3 Oct 

Session # 3          Dates: 9 Oct - 10 Oct       Comms Check: 8 Oct 

Session # 4          Dates: 15 Oct - 16 Oct      Comms Check: 14 Oct 

Session # 5          Dates: 20 Oct - 21 Oct      Comms Check: 17 Oct 

Session # 6          Dates: 23 Oct - 24 Oct      Comms Check: 22 Oct 

Session # 7          Dates: 28 Oct - 29 Oct      Comms Check: 27 Oct 

Session # 8          Dates: 3 Nov - 4 Nov        Comms Check: 31 Oct 

Session # 9          Dates: 6 Nov - 7 Nov        Comms Check: 5 Nov 

Session # 10        Dates: 13 Nov - 14 Nov       Comms Check: 12 Nov  

3.C.5. All participating teams are required to provide an
After-Action Report NLT two weeks after session completion. 
4. Administration and logistics.  Units are responsible for
the travel costs of their representatives if required. 
4.A. Teams are responsible for arranging access to a JIOR node
on Secret Internet Protocol Router (SIPR) network to
participate in the event. 
4.B.  Participants who complete the event will be eligible for a
participation certificate from the Test Resource Management Center
for 16 hours of continuous learning credit. 
4.C. Awards will be mailed to the winning team. 
5. Release authorized by Lieutenant General M. G. Carter,
Headquarters Marine Corps, Deputy Commandant for Information.