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CTCS Airmen earn top honors in DOD-level competition

  • Published
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --   Two Airmen assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Charleston AFB, S.C., recently captured top honors during the Defense Department's annual Military Photographer and Videographer competitions.

Staff Sgt. Jacob Bailey was named Military Photographer of the Year March 16, while Staff Sgt. Juan Femath took home Military Videographer of the Year honors March 17.

For the third year in a row, the Military Photographer of the Year, and for the second year in a row, the Military Videographer of the Year, both hail from the 1st CTCS.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs sponsors the competitions each March at the Defense Information School, located at Fort George G. Meade, Md. Individuals from the multimedia and journalism careers fields from across the Defense Department submit photos and video clips for the competition. Separate panels of professional civilian judges spend a full day comparing the entries for each competition.

The still photography judges viewed more than 2,000 images during the competition. After determining the winners of the nine individual categories, the judges spent an hour judging 50 individual portfolios. Of those submitted, Sergeant Baileys portfolio reigned supreme, making him the 2004 Military Photographer of the Year.

Bailey, a member of the Combat Photography Flight, was on hand for the judging and was shocked when the decision was announced.

I couldnt believe it.  To hear my name associated with the militarys top shooters fellow photographers Ive studied and learned from throughout my career was truly the biggest honor I could receive, he said.

The MPOY third place was taken by fellow 1st CTCS member Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Wolfe. Other Combat Camera photographers also placed in individual categories, including Tech. Sgt. Scott Reed, who took first in the Combat Documentary category.

Not to be left out, the Combat Video Flight stole the show the next day. Judges viewed more than 100 entries in the video competition. After all was said and done, Sergeant Femath won three of five individual categories, including Documentary, Field Production and Feature, and the 2004 Military Videographer of the Year.

Winning is great, but the real reward was getting to have my footage critiqued and even praised by the civilian judges. Its a point of view we dont often get, said Sergeant Femath.

Two other videographers, Staff Sgt. Sean Devine and Staff Sgt. Richard Mercado, took second and third place respectively, giving the Combat Videography Flight a clean sweep of the MVOY awards. Additionally, Tech. Sgt. James Carney took first place in the Combat Documentary category.

No other unit from any service came close to capturing the number of awards (34) the 1st CTCS has captured.

I'm honored to lead a fantastic team of Airmen who are passionate about their mission and subsequently rewarded for their efforts, said Lt. Col. Stephen DiFonzo, 1st CTCS commander.

Sergeants Femath and Bailey will each receive a new professional camera from the competitions corporate sponsors and a plaque from the OSD/PA director at an awards ceremony next month in Washington D.C.

The winners' names and entries can be seen on the Defense Information School Web site at www.dinfos.osd.mil.