Army Reserve career positively impacts broadcast journalist civilian life

Photo By Sgt. Jennifer Osborn | U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Robert Ham, a broadcast journalist with the 311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, films a close-up shot of a Soldier during training at the Big Logistics-Over-The-Shore, West exercises at Alameda, Calif., July 31, 2015. Big Logistics-Over-The-Shore, West is an annual, Army Reserve, multi-echelon functional exercise designed for transportation units and sustainment commands to hone their expertise in Logistics Over-the-Shore operations from July 25 to Aug. 7, 2015. More than 750 Soldiers are participating this year. The exercise has grown into a multi-component exercise involving elements from the active component Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Maritime Administration are conducting operations at three Bay-Area California training locations: Camp Parks, Alameda Point, and Military Ocean Terminal-Concord (MOTCO).  

ALAMEDA, CA, UNITED STATES

07.31.2015

Story by Sgt. Jennifer Osborn 

311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command   

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Public Affairs Office from the 311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command from Los Angeles documents training moments at the Big Logistics-Over-The-Shore, West exercise on July 31.

At this annual two-week exercise, broadcast journalist Staff Sgt. Robert Ham interviews Soldiers, takes photographs and makes videos of Soldiers’ experiences.

Every Soldier has an important job in the Army Reserve. Soldiers must be ready to deploy at any time, and so Army Reservists train to sharpen their skills. Ham is training as a combat correspondent, while telling the Soldiers’ story.

“The Army is really good at preparing you,” said Ham. “This is what we are doing now – preparation. All of our training is preparing you to be in a situation where you react instinctively because of the training.”

As a citizen-warrior, Ham utilizes his skills in videography in both his Army career and in his civilian job. He joined the Army as a broadcast journalist in 2007. With a bachelor’s degree in electronic media, he brought much videography and video editing knowledge to the position and credits the Army in enhancing his personality to be more successful in his civilian endeavors.

“I’ve gained confidence in myself and in my abilities,” said Ham. “The military puts you in very extreme circumstances a lot of the time; from basic training to real-world combat. When you go through that and survive and do well in those circumstances, Soldiers bring back confidence, tenacity and patience to their civilian lives.”

Once Ham was successful in stressful situations, it empowered him to feel like he could succeed anywhere. He attributes his quick-thinking and adaptability to his training in the military. As a combat correspondent, he interviews with the intention to observe, relate and empathize with his subjects to create unbiased and honest video stories.

“Passing on stories is one of the most powerful things humans do in order to connect and relate to each other,” said Ham.

Ham is a passionate storyteller who has filmed in more than 40 countries during his career. He deployed to Afghanistan with the 4th Brigade Combat Team 25th Infantry Division (Airborne) out of Alaska and served with the U.S. Army Pacific in Hawaii. He is a two-time Emmy winner and three-time DOD Military Videographer of the Year. Ham is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production from the University of Southern California.

• Date Taken: 07.31.2015
• Date Posted: 08.01.2015 21:48
• Story ID: 171840
• Location: ALAMEDA, CA, US