PA office logs unprecedented 11 command awards

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  • By 439th AW Public Affairs
  • 439th AW/PA
WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --  
The 439th AW Public Affairs Office staff recently brought home 11 command communication excellence and media contest awards – the most awards of any AFRC PA shop.

The first-place winners will represent AFRC at the upcoming Air Force-level competition.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the PA staff,” said Lt. Col. James Bishop, chief of PA. Lt. Col. Bishop and TSgt. Stephen Winn attended a three-day AFRC PA Leadership Symposium, during which command officials announced the awards Feb. 11. “This was particularly rewarding to see Westover earn the best PA shop in the command – with 10 other individual awards. All 11 trophies wouldn’t fit in my luggage. It was just amazing! My bag was six pounds overweight.”

PA took home the Brig. Gen. Harry J. Dalton Jr. Award, earned by the most effective unit-level public affairs organization communication program achieved through research, planning, execution, and evaluation in support of the Air Force mission. The award recognizes Westover PA's efforts for the entire year, encompassing all events, issues, activities, and initiatives for the top public affairs office in AFRC.

Other awards the 439th staff earned:

 AFRC award for the top electronic publication across all units in the Reserve Command for the Patriot e-magazine. The award recognizes top-level reporting, layout, photograph, breadth and depth of coverage.

 William Pope won a personal record - and very likely a Reserve Command record - five first place awards this year.

- AFRC Category I civilian of the Year for his "global impact" in creating three cartoons for Air Force magazine, six for Citizen Airman magazine, 38 drawings for social media, producing and expanding the Westover News Network to five area towns, and designing the award-winning Patriot magazine.

- AFRC Civilian Photographer of the Year for a series of five stunning photos encompassing the Air Show, ESPN's tribute to Veterans, and a portrait of retired Col. Charlie Brown.

- AFRC Infographic of the year, for an informative graphic depicting where Westover's reservists come from by state.

- AFRC Graphics Illustration of the Year for one of his Pope's Puns cartoons appearing in the Patriot.

- AFRC Graphics Animation for an animation featuring a creative rendering of the CAPSTONE inspection process used by inspector general offices across the command.

 Outstanding Digital Presence, for the top social media planning and execution in AFRC.

 Video News Report, Tech. Sgt. Stephen Winn, for a video on a veteran’s memorial event.

 Outstanding Communication Senior Noncommissioned Officer (E-7-E-8), Master Sgt. Andrew Biscoe

 Outstanding Communication Airman (E-1-E-4), Senior Airman Monica Ricci

In addition to the staff mentioned above, the other staff for 2015 were:

Capt. Andre Bowser
Master Sgt. Timm Huffman
Tech. Sgt. Brian Boynton
Tech. Sgt. Amelia Leonard
Staff Sgt. Kelly Goonan
Senior Airman Charles Hutchinson