COMMENTARY - A dollop of awesome sauce

Photo By Senior Airman Aaron Montoya | Airman 1st Class Randahl Jenson, a 49th Wing Public Affairs photojournalist, holds various media awards currently won by photojournalists and broadcasters from the 49th Wing Public Affairs office, April 4 at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. Six of Holloman’s highest performers who were honored with Air Combat Command or Secretary of the Air Force-level awards for their efforts throughout 2015.  

NM, UNITED STATES

04.04.2016

Story by 2nd Lt. Travis Schirner 

49th Wing

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --
These opportunities don’t come too frequently. The Public Affairs profession is one that is tasked with singing the praises of all other career fields wherever they operate, looking upward and outward to find the story that needs to be told, but rarely daring to look inward.

Within the Air Force Public Affairs community, writing about one’s own unit is nearly considered taboo. So, when the wing commander directed this inexperienced public affairs lieutenant to write about his own office, the first four words in response were, “Sir, are you sure?”

He was “absolutely” sure.

Six of Holloman’s highest performers were honored with Air Combat Command or Secretary of the Air Force-level awards for their efforts throughout 2015.

In addition, the 49th Wing Public Affairs Office took home ACC Public Affairs’ highest Communication Excellence prize, the Brig. Gen. Harry J. Dalton Jr. Award, awarded to the most effective unit-level Public Affairs organization (wing and below) communication program achieved through research, planning, execution and evaluation in support of the Air Force mission.

The base public affairs shop was awarded the prize for their work educating the local community, nation, and international media on Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Holloman’s formal training increase that is currently well underway.

Holloman’s broadcasters are often listed among the highest performers in their field, and their award performance demonstrated just that.

Airman 1st Class Jao’Torey Johnson took home four total awards, which placed him as the top new broadcaster in Air Combat Command and the third best new broadcaster in the Air Force.

Not to be outdone, Senior Airman BreeAnn Sachs took home three awards and was recognized as the runner-up in ACC’s Communication Excellence Outstanding Communication Airman Award. The award distinguished her as #2 of 123 ACC Public Affairs Airmen.

Photojournalists SrA Aaron Montoya, SrA Emily Kenney, and A1C Randahl Jenson all took home ACC Media Awards, two of which elevated SrA Kenney as ACC’s most outstanding new writer and second best photojournalist across the command. This is pretty much the equivalent of winning Rookie of the Year and runner-up for the MVP in the same year.

In addition to the great work our public affairs Airmen accomplished over 2015, Arlan Ponder, the 49th Wing Public Affairs director of media relations, took home a second place finish as ACC’s Civilian Photojournalist of the Year by stepping outside of his required duties to assist the office’s Command Information division.

As I so frequently address you in office emails -- PA fam, your public affairs leadership and your wing leadership appreciates you and your efforts day in and day out. Whether ceaselessly supporting our units, taking countless community requests, waking up at 2 a.m. when a car accident calls you back to the base, sacrificing your Thanksgiving for the sake of an investigation, or providing closure for a family who has lost a loved one, your work is sometimes the loudspeaker and sometimes the whisper on which the rest of the Air Force and our families rely.

You are now recognized as some of the best in your field. Thank you for your efforts. There’s still much more to do and improve.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­__________________________________________________________

Secretary of the Air Force Media Awards
Outstanding New Broadcaster
Third Place: A1C Jao'Torey Johnson, 49th Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico
Audio News Report
Second Place: SrA BreeAnn Sachs, 49th Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico

--

Air Combat Command Media Awards
Category 1 - Digital Publication
First Place: "The Holloman Court Reporter," 49th Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB N.M.
Category 10 - Outstanding New Writer
First Place: SrA Emily Kenney, 49th Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB N.M.
Category 11 - ACC Military Photojournalist of the Year
Second Place: SrA Emily Kenney, 49th Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB N.M.
Category 12 - ACC Civilian Photojournalist of the Year
Second Place: Mr. Arlan Ponder, 49th Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB N.M.
Category 14 - Graphic Animation
First Place: "Big Give," A1C Jao'Torey Johnson, 49th Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB N.M.
Category 18 - News Photo
First Place: "The touch down before the stand-up," SrA Aaron Montoya, 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB N.M.
Category 20 - Sports Photo
Second Place: "Soccer," A1C Randahl Jenson, 49th Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB N.M.
Category 30 - Audio News
First Place: "Aircrew Flight Equipment," SrA BreeAnn Sachs, 49th Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB N.M.
Category 40 - ACC Outstanding New Broadcaster of the Year
First Place: A1C Jao'Torey Johnson, 49th Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB N.M.
Category 43 - Video Documentary
Second Place: "Reshaping History: The Apollo Capsule Restoration," A1C Jao'Torey Johnson, 49th Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB N.M.

--

Air Combat Command Communication Excellence Awards
Brigadier General Harry J. Dalton Jr. Award (Most effective overall communication program)
First Place: 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB, N.M.
Outstanding Communication Airman Award
Runner-up: SrA BreeAnn Sachs, 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, Holloman AFB, N.M.

• Date Taken: 04.04.2016
• Date Posted: 01.05.2017 18:52
• Story ID: 219386
• Location: NM, US