Photo By Nicholas Priest | U.S. Air Force Reserve Staff Sgt. Nathan Stout, 4th Combat Camera Squadron broadcast...... read more read more
Subscribe
Combat Camera Airmen prepare for consolidation
By Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Priest, 4th Combat Camera Squadron
Joint Base Charleston, S.C. –
The Department of the Air Force announced the Broadcast Journalist and the Photojournalist Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSCs) are being combined to create the Public Affairs career field. The consolidation plan contains three phases. First, Airmen must complete career development courses (CDCs) for the AFSC on which they are training. Phase Two consists of hands-on training, and Airmen must shoot photos or videos, write scripts, and even write news stories. Every module of the training is reviewed before being signed off by a superintendent in the career field. In Phase Three, Airmen must demonstrate proficiency in all aspects of their new career field by completing a capstone project.
Airmen at the 4th Combat Camera Squadron, the Air Force Reserve’s only combat camera unit, are working to complete consolidation training on the same timeline as their active duty counterparts, Airmen assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron.
The training allows members of the squadron to revisit and hone skills. At many public affairs offices, tasks like writing news stories and publishing press releases are integrated into the daily mission; however, Combat Camera units are unique. Combat Camera’s mission is to provide DoD leaders “a directed imagery capability in support of strategic, operational and planning requirements during wartime operations, worldwide crises, contingencies, joint exercises and humanitarian operations.” This specific mission is dictated by the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Therefore, while “COMCAM” troops are experts in camera operations and working in austere environments, their training requirements are more robust than a traditional public affairs office, which can lead to gaps in training with tasks more closely associated with public affairs work.
Reserve Citizen Airmen face unique challenges when completing their training. As the Unit Training Manager, Master Sgt. Wendy Day is in charge of making sure everyone completes the training on time.
“We have a year to complete the training,” said Master Sgt. Day. “On the active duty side, they have 365 days to complete this. As a Reservist, that translates to about 30 working days. This means that any hiccup, no matter how small, may result in the member doubling their workload on any given drill weekend.”
The consolidation training ensures that every member of the 4th Combat Camera Squadron will be proficient in all aspects of the new career field, from print news stories and photography, to videography and broadcast operations.
| Date Taken: | 02.07.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.27.2021 08:35 |
| Story ID: | 401746 |
| Location: | JB CHARLESTON, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 186 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Combat Camera Airmen prepare for consolidation, by Nicholas Priest, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT