ARLINGTON, Va. - The 2008 National Guard Media Contest winners were recently announced by Jack Harrison, director of NGB Public Affairs and Strategic Communications.
"The contest recognizes the best and brightest in the Guard's public affairs career field that includes well over 1,000 Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen from 54 states and territories," said Harrison. "The contest has been running for more than 30 years and has produced many Thomas Jefferson Award winners-the highest award given to a DoD public affairs practitioner."
Writers, photographers and broadcasters and stringers submitted over 500 entries this year in about 50 categories that ranged from feature stories to television newscasts, to stand-alone photos and commentaries.
Entries this year captured much of what the National Guard did in 2008 from sandbagging along swollen rivers in Iowa and Illinois, to Airmen practicing their chemical and biological warfare skills in blizzard conditions North Dakota and how a Nevada Guardsmen help locate the remains of famed aviator-adventurer Steve Fossett.
The writing categories had many memorable pieces, including one about the sacrifices that an Ohio Guard couple have made in raising nine kids, four of whom they adopted from impoverished countries, as described in 2nd Lt. Kimberly D. Snow's feature "Nine is enough."
Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Larson's account of the justice handed down at GTMO to Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a former driver and bodyguard for Osama bin Laden; and the Staff Sgt. Joe Cashion's piece about a Soldier who used his combat lifesaver skills to help a farmer who was bleeding profusely after losing part of his arm in a farm machine.
Maryland's Spc. Lori Kingston's photojournalism entry highlighted the patriotism of a 39-year-old mother of 13, who joined the Army, graduated at the top of her class, scored 350 points on her physical training test and refused a reenlistment bonus.
Other photo entries didn't disappoint either with shots like a C-5 engulfing a C-130 fuselage; a dreamy scene on the firing range in Sgt. 1st Class Tom Steber's first place "Night Fire;" a paratrooper jumping out the back of a C-130 into a forbidding Colorado winter; and several shots of honor guard members performing funeral honors.
the numbers
There were roughly 450 print entries this year, which is 75 more than last year. The big increase was on the Air side, where entries more than doubled from last year's 108.
The big state winners were Nebraska with 18, California with 10 and Illinois with eight.
Seventeen judges graded categories that had as little two entries to some like "News" and "Features" that had over 50.
On the broadcast side, 40 individuals sent 60 entries from 10 states. Six distinguished judges noted the best products coming from the Air Force's "Video Field Production" and the Army's "Television Information Program" categories.
The news pieces showed a lot of potential, said Army Staff Sgt. Rebecca Doucette, a broadcast NCO and judge for NGB-PA.
Bigger fame
One purpose of the Guard's media contest is to send the National Guard's best entries to the Army's Keith L. Ware and Air Force media contests. The top three winners on the Army side and the first place entries on the Air side were submitted in these contests.
Results in the Army's Keith L. Ware Media Contest were announced today, and the Army National Guard took 14 awards, including:
- Web-Based Publication: 1st place, National Guard Bureau
- Newsletter publication: 1st place, The Wire, 112th MPAD, Wisconsin National Guard
- News: 2nd place, Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill, National Guard Bureau
- Feature: 2nd place, 2nd Lt. Kimberly D. Snow, 196th MPAD, Ohio National Guard
- Sports : 1st place, Sgt. Amy Wieser-Willson, North Dakota National Guard
- Story Series: 3rd place, Maj. Scott Bell, South Carolina National Guard
- Stand-Alone Photo: 1st place, Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Steber, Montana National Guard
- Art/Graphic in Support (civilian): 1st place, Nida Chindalaksanalert, California National Guard
- Stringer (Photo) : 2nd place, Staff Sgt. Thomas Webster, 191st MP Company, North Dakota National Guard; 3rd place, Sgt. Kassidy Snyder, Illinois National Guard
- "Rising Star" Outstanding New Writer: 1st place, Spc. Lalita Laksbergs, 139th MPAD, Illinois National Guard
- Field publication: 1st place, Bowie Edition, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Arkansas National Guard
- Television Information Program: 2nd place, Utah National Guard; 3rd place, Montana National Guard
Results for the Air Force Media Contest were announced on March 12, and the Air National Guard took nine awards:
- Colorado National Guard Tech. Sgt. Cheresa Theiral, was the "Air Force Outstanding New Writer"
- Pennsylvania 1st Lt. Jay Ostrich, took first place in the "Feature Story" category
- Oregon Tech. Sgt. Nick Choy claimed third in "Story Series"
- Iowa Tech. Sgt. Oscar M. Sanchez-Alvarez won third place in "Feature Photo"
- North Dakota Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp won third place in "Sports Photo" and tied for first place in "Picture Story"
- Colorado Tech. Sgt. Kevin Coulter took third place in "Television Feature Report"
- Montana Guardsmen Maj. Ricky Anderson, Senior Master Sgt. Eric J. Peterson, Tech. Sgts. Charlie Heit and Jason Johnson, and Staff Sgt. Christy Mason were first in "Local Television Newscast"
- South Carolina Senior Master Sgt. Edward E. Snyder won third place in "Video Documentary Category"
All of the Army and Air Force winners are automatically entered into DoD's Thomas Jefferson award contest. Several Guardmembers won DoD Visual Information Awards. The contest was hosted by the Defense Information School March 10-12. Among the thousands of photographs, hundreds of graphics and hours of video judged, Guardmembers took six awards:
- Feature: 3rd Place - Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy, 58th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Maryland National Guard
- Illustrative Photography: 2nd Place - Army Staff Sgt. Helen M. Miller, Joint Force Headquarters, Michigan National Guard
- Web Design: 2nd Place - Staff Sgt. Daniel A. DiPietro, 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont National Guard
- Publication: Honorable Mention - Staff Sgt. Daniel A. DiPietro, 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont National Guard
- Layout & Design: 2nd Place - Army Staff Sgt. Deidre A. Piechocki, Recruiting and Retention Command, Michigan National Guard
- Military Videographer of the Year - 1st Runner-Up - Tech. Sgt. Michael Davis, Vermont National Guard
Winning entries may be viewed on the Defense Information School Web site at www.dinfos.dma.mil, and will be exhibited at DINFOS, Ft. Meade, Md. Winners of the National Guard contest will receive plaques for first place and certificates for second and third later this year.