About TGA

Built by Warfighters. Driven by Mission.

The Tactical Grid Association was founded by a group of active-duty and veteran military communications professionals who spent careers building, operating, and fighting on tactical networks. From Marine Corps radio operators to Air Force IT directors, from SATCOM engineers to cybersecurity specialists — our board and members have done the hard work at the tactical edge.

We built TGA because the tactical communications community deserved more than vendor expos and PowerPoint conferences. We needed a professional home — a place where warfighters, engineers, and industry leaders connect over real operational problems and drive real solutions for C2 modernization.

Every one of them has carried a radio in combat, built the networks that carry kill chain data, or engineered the systems that keep forces connected in contested environments. Their records speak for themselves — read the roster.

Sam Land

USMC CWO3 Retired | TGA Founder

Retired Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 3 with 20 years of service and founder of TGA. Background in tactical network design, IT modernization, and secure communications for expeditionary forces. MARSOC and Joint Communications Unit veteran with JSOC and special operations experience. FMF Tactical Grid Plank Holder. Now COO at ShadowTech Solutions.

Rick Rivera III

USMC CWO4 Retired | 25 Years

Retired Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 4 and former Space & Waveform Integration Officer at HQMC IC4. Lead author of the Marine Corps' first Transport Strategy. Marine One veteran with Presidential communications support across 59 deployments. Served with 2nd Battalion 4th Marines in Ramadi. Lasswell Award recipient. Now Integrated Solutions Manager at Viasat. Expert in satellite communications and resilient connectivity for contested environments.

James Rambo

USMC CWO4 Retired | 21 Years

Retired Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 4 and Systems Engineering Officer. Built and secured network infrastructure across multiple Marine Corps commands in CONUS and Europe. Background in data center architecture, boundary services, and enterprise authentication. Now a Network Security Engineer at GuidePoint Security focused on web application firewalls and enterprise defense.

Chris Phillips

USMC Veteran | FMF Tactical Grid Plank Holder

Marine Corps tactical communications veteran, SATCOM operator, and cybersecurity specialist. Ran Network Operations Centers supporting Marine Corps field communications across the western seaboard. Former Network Consulting Engineer at Cisco. FMF Tactical Grid Plank Holder. Now founder and CEO of ShadowTech Solutions, bridging military requirements with next-generation networking and cyber defense.

Aaron Varner

USMC CWO3 Retired | 21 Years

Retired Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 3 with 21 years of service. Served as Data Systems Engineering Officer and Cyber Network Operations Engineer across multiple commands. Background in mission-critical IT infrastructure and federal engineering. Now Director of Business Development & HR at ShadowTech Solutions, formerly Director of Engineering at IMPRES Technology Solutions.

Angel Rodriguez

USMC CWO3 Retired | 20 Years

Retired Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 3 with deep expertise in C5ISRT, space operations, and electronic warfare. Served as Space and Propagation Engineering Officer with 2nd Marine Division and 2nd MLG. Marine One veteran at HMX-1 with Presidential communications support. Embassy Security Detachment Commander in Kazakhstan and Guyana. Now Director of Business Development at Silvus Technologies and founder of The Communicator LLC.

Jennifer Port

USMC MSgt Retired | 21 Years

Retired Marine with 21 years of service and extensive experience in administration and personnel management. Administrative Chief at HQMC, MARSOC, I MEF, and 13th MEU, overseeing large-scale operations, multimillion-dollar budgets, and initiatives affecting thousands of personnel.

Billy Austin

USAF MSgt Retired | 20 Years

20-year Air Force veteran retiring as Master Sergeant with TS/SCI clearance. Served as Director of IT at the 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing supporting 2,800 Airmen across 16 squadrons. Led combat systems development at Air Force Special Operations Command. Background in network modernization, tactical communications, and cybersecurity. Now Tactical Solutions Architect at Iron Bow Technologies.