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ALEXANDRIA, Va — An Alexandria defense journalist will be honored Saturday night with two awards from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation for his reporting on how the Marine Corps is preparing to fight in the Arctic.
Drew F. Lawrence, a reporter with DefenseScoop and a former Military.com journalist, is one of 20 recipients of the foundation's 2026 Annual Awards — and one of only two to take home more than one award this year. He will accept the awards at the foundation's Annual Awards Dinner on April 25 at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia.
Lawrence received the Corporal Jan Bender Award, which recognizes excellence in digital storytelling about the Marine Corps, for "On the Ice with Marines Preparing for War in the Arctic." He also received the Major Megan McClung Award, given for distinguished reporting on U.S. Marines abroad, for "Supply or Die: Sustaining Marines in the High North so They Can Fight and Win a Future War." Both articles were published at Military.com. The McClung Award is named for the first female Marine Corps officer killed in combat in the Iraq War, where she was serving as a public affairs officer.
"To receive these awards from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation is a genuine honor," Lawrence shared with The Alexandria Brief on Friday. "It is not lost on me that these awards bear the names of Marines who personify legacies of sacrifice and dedication. The Marines I spent time with in the Arctic were doing serious, difficult work and this recognition is for them."
The only other 2026 honoree to receive multiple awards was Col. Rod Andrew Jr., Ph.D., USMCR (Ret.), who was recognized for two works on the Marine Corps in the post-World War II era.
At DefenseScoop, Lawrence covers defense technology, systems, policy and personnel. A graduate of the George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs, he previously worked at Military.com and has also been published in CNN, The Washington Post, Task & Purpose and The War Horse. Originally from Massachusetts, he is an Army veteran and former Armor officer, and a recipient of the Order of Saint George, which recognizes distinguished service to the Armor and Cavalry branch. In 2022, he was named among the top 10 military veteran journalists, and his previous honors include a Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation Award and a Military Reporters & Editors Best Podcast award.
Saturday's ceremony will recognize 20 recipients in all, with work spanning journalism, photography, documentary filmmaking, fine art, poetry, nonfiction and fiction. Other notable honorees include historian Stephen R. Platt, whose book "The Raider" received the Colonel Joseph Alexander Award for biography, and the production team behind the documentary series "MARINES" from Lucky8 TV — which includes author and filmmaker Sebastian Junger among its executive producers — which received the Major Norman Hatch Award.
The Annual Awards Program has honored Marines and civilians since 1981, selected by a panel of Marines and civilian experts. Past honorees have included novelists, bestselling authors, national columnists, network producers and active-duty Marines.
"Through their exceptional talent and authenticity, these outstanding writers, artists, and photographers explore the rich history, traditions, and culture of the Marine Corps," Maj. Gen. James W. Lukeman, USMC (Ret.), the foundation's president and CEO, said in a statement. "We are privileged to highlight their remarkable work at our Foundation's Annual Awards and hope that their example inspires others to tell the story of our Marine Corps."
Each winner receives a gold medallion, a cash prize, and a commemorative brick along the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park pathway adjacent to the museum.
The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, established in 1979 as a nonprofit, supports the historical programs of the Marine Corps and secured funding for the construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps. A full list of this year's award recipients is available at MarineHeritage.org.
Updated at 6:05 p.m. on Friday, April 24 with comment from Drew F. Lawrence.
