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“The Missile Defender of the Year is the backbone of World Championship culture. This is culture building at its best. It takes all of us to build that culture to recognize the best of the best within the team. This is a joint team here. We are very diverse. We have personalities. We've recognized 1,400 guys catching the ball—and gals. Over 28 countries setting culture, winning culture by recognition of that greatness by greatness. And all of us are part of it.
We work for the love of the game, all of you. You're doing this for the love of the game, and that's the most important driver: to love what you do to become invincible. Together to create that trust, we bonded that trust tonight that is invincible when you become invincible. It doesn't matter, the resilience doesn't matter, you Win!
It is powerful to see these real-world examples of that. And we right now, of all the 16 years of the Missile Defender of the Year, of all of the 46 years since 1980, have for the first time, we have brought it together to create the ultimate missile defense the world's ever, ever seen.
It's going to be implemented. It's right here, but it's going to take all of you to do it. And it's going to take all of you to contribute, for the love of the game. It's impressive that we've got to a stage in our lifetimes that the world requires your skillset, your leadership, and your mission to make this world safe. It's fundamental, and it's exciting to see this unfold.
Winners Associate with Winners to Win!”
–Riki Ellison at the U.S. Missile Defender of the Year award ceremony, Alexandria Virigina, January 16, 2026.
This past Friday, MDAA held our 16th annual U.S. Missile Defender of the Year awards ceremony to honor and award six distinguished servicemembers from across the U.S. Armed Forces: Marine Sergeant Ryan Wass, Army Lieutenant Jake Licht, Navy Lieutenant Grace Lawrence, Army National Guard Captain Gregory May, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Connie Omolayo, and Space Force Master Sergeant William Sullivan. This year, the U.S. Marine Corps participated in this prestigious joint recognition for the very first time.
The 2025 Missile Defender of the Year awardees began the day at Mt Vernon, laying a wreath on the tomb of the United States first Commander-in-Chief and President, George Washington. Our Nation’s leader in creating, leading, and implementing World Championship Culture for the Defense of the United States of America.
The 2025 Missile Defender of the Year awardees ended the day at Alexandria in a World Championship Culture with their families and their Command and with the Leaders of our Missile Defense for the United States of America.
We were honored to have in attendance General Michael Guetlein, Director of the Golden Dome for America; Lieutenant General Sean Gainey, SMDC Commander and Joint Task Force-Gold Commander; Lieutenant General Heath Collins, Director of the Missile Defense Agency; Vice Admiral Brad Skillman, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Integration of Capabilities and Resources; Lieutenant General Joseph Jarrard, Deputy Commander, USNORTHCOM and America's newest 3-star general; Major General Duke Pirak, Deputy Director of the Air National Guard; Major General Brian Gibson , Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy at USSPACECOM; Major General Richard Wholey, Commander, 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command; Brigadier General Christopher Fernengel, Director of Plans and Programs in the Office of the Chief Strategy and Resource Officer, U.S. Space Force; and Brigadier General Jason Knight, Special Assistant for Space Operations to the Commander of the Air National Guard Readiness Center.
Among the others in the audience were several parents of awardees, including U.S. Army awardee Lieutenant Jake Licht’s father: a MACV-SOG veteran, Navy pilot, 22-month Vietnam POW, and inspirational hero who honored us all with his attendance.
We are honored to present the 2025 U.S. Missile Defenders of the Year:
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