Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Austin Berner | U.S. Army Spc. Lisa Velazco, front, and Pfc. J.J. Cauble, both with the 982nd Combat...... read more read more
FORT JACKSON, S.C. – The day and life of a Combat Camera soldier (MOS 25V) is similar to the travels of a Combat Medic, they follow the footprints of the battlefield. The major difference is every movement is captured on still camera or video documenting historical information. This gives the units they follow an opportunity to keep a record of combat or non-combat operations.
The combat camera is a very unique capability to the United States military. There are only two Combat Camera Units in the entire army. The 982nd Army Reserve Combat Camera (Airborne) unit base out of East Point, Ga., with a detachment located at Wilson N.C. and the 55th Combat Camera unit based out of Fort Meade, Md. They deliver the visual support that is needed to capture and document the Department of Defense events and missions
“The combat camera requires a special breed of personnel”, said Capt. Raymond Childress, Commander of the 982nd Combat Camera unit. “Not everybody can go out and document the things that we need to document and also be isolated from the rest of their peers.”
Each soldier goes out individually and embeds with a combat unit out in the field or wherever the mission takes them. “We cover the full spectrum of operations in the Army’s arsenal”, said Childress.
“Our soldiers are very artistic, cerebral, physically fit and have very positive attitude. It’s a position that requires someone that is outgoing and ready to go do the things that a lot of people aren’t willing to suffer through.” Childress also stated the female soldiers in his unit are no strangers to combat. They are not infantry men but they do go out on all the operations.
The 982nd spends of lot of time away from home. Recently they stopped through Fort Jackson to complete required training for several deployments that they have in the near future to Africa, El Salvador, Afghanistan and Panama, just to name of few, to support Operation Enduring Freedom, conventional forces, non-conventional forces and international security assistance forces.
Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens is a seasoned combat camera photographer with 22 years of experience under his belt and doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. “I love what I do for the military,” he said. When he’s not deployed he’s worked at a television station and has done freelance photography.
“One thing that is nice about being a combat photographer is that you get to see everybody else’s job and I love that” said Stephens. Prior to Stephens becoming a 25V he was a Cavalry Scout.
Several members of the 982nd can’t see themselves doing anything else but supporting soldiers and their families, waking up every day to record the true story of a combat soldier through photography and video.
Sgt. Austin Berner, a combat camera photographer reflects back to a time when he was in Afghanistan taking pictures of soldiers during their mission. “I took a picture of three soldiers and a week later they were killed”, said Berner.
He sent photos and videos to the soldiers’ families and received a letter from a widow thanking him for sending those last images of her husband alive “Just taking a picture of a guy pulling security or someone just doing their job, to see what that means to them is fulfilling,” said Berner. “We can touch people’s lives.”
| Date Taken: | 01.25.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 01.30.2013 13:35 |
| Story ID: | 101243 |
| Location: | FORT JACKSON, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 1,103 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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