908th earns top honors in AFRC ’22 media contest

MONTGOMERY, AL, UNITED STATES

03.17.2023

Story by Bradley Clark 

908th Airlift Wing

Three members of the 908th Airlift Wing Public Affairs office at Maxwell Air Force Base took home nine awards in the 2022 Air Force Reserve Command Media Contest.

The 908th’s nine awards were more than double than the next closest wing public affairs office; the 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs office at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, took home four awards.

“These awards validate the great work the 908th PA office has been doing for a long time now,” said 908th Airlift Commander, Col. Craig Drescher.

908 AW public affairs specialist Senior Airman Juliana Todd led the wing and all competitors with a total of five awards, four of which were in Graphic Design categories.

She won Best Animation for a GIF she created to remind members of the end of daylight saving time.

She then won Best Layout & Design for her “Helping Agency Guide to Comprehensive Airman Fitness” infographic.

Next, she took home first place in the Photo Illustration category for her “Influenza Vaccinations infographic.”

Arguably the biggest win for her in the Graphic Design categories was being named AFRC’s Military Graphic Designer of the Year!

Highlighting her skills as a multi-capable Airman, Todd also earned the title as the Best New Writer of the Year.

“Creativity is taking the abstract ideas and bringing them to life,” explained Todd. “I enjoy being able to represent the wing and showcase the brilliant ideas our members have to share to the rest of the world.”

Showing that the 908th has more than one highly skilled public affairs specialist, Senior Airman Austin Jackson took home two awards.

He earned first place in the graphic design category of Identity Design for his infographic “Introducing the new 908 AW MVPs Poster,” which depicts the wing’s new Mission Statement, Vision Statement and Priorities.

Also showing his versatile skillset, Jackson earned the title of Best New Videographer of the Year.

"My goal is always to tell the best stories possible," said Jackson. "I'm so grateful that I get the opportunity to share pieces of our Airmen's lives. It is the stories that we tell that can inspire people to join, help motivate our families back at home and that will forever be a memory of our impact."

As a content manager and someone who sees both of their products first and through all steps of the creation process, 908th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Director of Operations, Brad Clark, knows that they are the PA section’s most valuable resources and assets.

“I think this is a testament to how highly skilled Senior Airman Jackson and Senior Airman Todd are and how serious they take their jobs,” said Clark. “The two of them have been in the military for just two years now and have only been in the 908th for less than a year. On top of that, their first Unit Training Assembly with the unit was when the wing flew its final flights in the C-130. So, they have been part of an airlift wing’s PA office, with no airlift whatsoever.”

Clark rounded out the wins for the wing earning the titles of Civilian Photographer of the Year and Civilian Writer of the Year.

“For me, these awards don’t represent individual accomplishment, they represent a team effort,” said Clark. “Any PA practitioner knows that everything must align just right to be fully successful. It must start at the top. We have a great wing commander that values the skillset we bring to the table. Col. Drescher allows and enables us to take his intent as leader of the wing and convert that into the messages we try to convey to our audiences. Then the Group and Squadron commanders and senior leaders keep us in the loop on what their units are doing so that we can set our schedules, create our plans, and tell their stories. Next up is our Director of Public Affairs, Maj. John Stamm. He paves the way for us, removing potential roadblocks for us and helping guide us to the best way to convey the message we are trying to get to our audience. Lastly, it’s the members of the wing, they allow us into their workspaces and lives, and let us take photos, videos, and conduct interviews providing us the information we need to tell their stories. All those things must come together for us to be successful, and luckily for us, they have.”

Todd, Jackson and Clark are now competing at the U.S. Air Force level to potentially compete at the Department of Defense level.

“We are so proud of Airmen Todd and Jackson,” said Drescher. “Within such a short time in the Air Force they have done so much and blossomed as public affairs professionals.”

• Date Taken: 03.17.2023
• Date Posted: 03.17.2023 12:21
• Story ID: 440649
• Location: MONTGOMERY, AL, US