Three members of the 908th Airlift Wing Public Affairs (PA) 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 those won by 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.

Daylight saving time gif from Senior Airman Juliana Todd from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

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

(U.S. Air Force Graphic by Senior Airman Juliana Todd)

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

(U.S. Air Force Graphic by Senior Airman Juliana Todd)

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 multicapable 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,” Todd said. “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.

(U.S. Air Force graphic by Senior Airman Austin Jackson)

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,” Jackson said. “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.”

One of the videos produced last year by Senior Airman Austin Jackson of the 908th Airlift Wing Public Affairs office from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

“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 Brad Clark, 908th Airlift Wing Public Affairs director of Operations. Clark rounded out the wins for the wing, earning the titles of Civilian Photographer of the Year and Civilian Writer of the Year. Here are examples of his photography:

Firefighters from the 908th Airlift Wing’s 908th Civil Engineer Squadron in conjunction with firefighters from the Fort Benning Fire Department arrive on scene to a helicopter aircraft fire trainer Aug. 4, 2022, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 908th firefighters teamed with the Fort Benning Fire Department to conduct their first ever joint interoperability training and to utilize the helicopter trainer to accelerate their training in preparation for the 908 AW remission to the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. (Bradley J. Clark / U.S. Air Force)

Firefighters from the 908th Airlift Wing’s 908th Civil Engineer Squadron in conjunction with firefighters from the Fort Benning Fire Department begin extinguishing a fire as they arrive on scene to a helicopter aircraft fire trainer Aug. 4, 2022, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 908th firefighters teamed with the Fort Benning Fire Department to conduct their first ever joint interoperability training and to utilize the helicopter trainer to accelerate their training in preparation for the 908 AW remission to the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. (Bradley J. Clark / U.S. Air Force)

Firefighters from the 908th Airlift Wing’s 908th Civil Engineer Squadron and the Fort Benning Fire Department discuss how to attack a helicopter fire after arriving on scene to a helicopter aircraft fire trainer Aug. 4, 2022, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 908th firefighters teamed with the Fort Benning Fire Department to conduct their first ever joint interoperability training and to utilize the helicopter trainer to accelerate their training in preparation for the 908 AW remission to the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. (Bradley J. Clark / U.S. Air Force)

Firefighters from the 908th Airlift Wing’s 908th Civil Engineer Squadron approach a helicopter fire as firefighters from the Fort Benning Fire Department look on during a training exercise involving a helicopter aircraft fire trainer Aug. 4, 2022, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 908th firefighters teamed with the Fort Benning Fire Department to conduct their first ever joint interoperability training and to utilize the helicopter trainer to accelerate their training in preparation for the 908 AW remission to the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. (Bradley J. Clark / U.S. Air Force)

Firefighters from the 908th Airlift Wing’s 908th Civil Engineer Squadron prepare to extinguish a fire as firefighters from the Fort Benning Fire Department look on during a training exercise with a helicopter aircraft fire trainer Aug. 4, 2022, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 908th firefighters teamed with the Fort Benning Fire Department to conduct their first ever joint interoperability training and to utilize the helicopter trainer to accelerate their training in preparation for the 908 AW remission to the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. (Bradley J. Clark / U.S. Air Force)

Firefighters from the 908th Airlift Wing’s 908th Civil Engineer Squadron prepare to extinguish a fire as firefighters from the Fort Benning Fire Department look on during a training exercise with a helicopter aircraft fire trainer Aug. 4, 2022, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 908th firefighters teamed with the Fort Benning Fire Department to conduct their first ever joint interoperability training and to utilize the helicopter trainer to accelerate their training in preparation for the 908 AW remission to the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. (Bradley J. Clark / U.S. Air Force)

Firefighters from the 908th Airlift Wing’s 908th Civil Engineer Squadron prepare to extinguish a fire as firefighters from the Fort Benning Fire Department look on during a training exercise with a helicopter aircraft fire trainer Aug. 4, 2022, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 908th firefighters teamed with the Fort Benning Fire Department to conduct their first ever joint interoperability training and to utilize the helicopter trainer to accelerate their training in preparation for the 908 AW remission to the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. (Bradley J. Clark / U.S. Air Force)

Firefighters from the 908th Airlift Wing’s 908th Civil Engineer Squadron extinguish a fire during a training exercise with a helicopter aircraft fire trainer Aug. 4, 2022, at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 908th firefighters teamed with the Fort Benning Fire Department to conduct their first ever joint interoperability training and to utilize the helicopter trainer to accelerate their training in preparation for the 908 AW remission to the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. (Bradley J. Clark / U.S. Air Force)

Firefighters from the 908th Airlift Wing’s 908th Civil Engineer Squadron check their equipment as they prepare to extinguish a fire as firefighters from the Fort Benning Fire Department look on during a training exercise with a helicopter aircraft fire trainer Aug. 4, 2022, at Fort Benning Georgia. The 908th firefighters teamed with the Fort Benning Fire Department to conduct their first ever joint interoperability training and to utilize the helicopter trainer to accelerate their training in preparation for the 908 AW remission to the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. (Bradley J. Clark / U.S. Air Force)

Firefighters from the 908th Airlift Wing’s 908th Civil Engineer Squadron extinguish a fire during a training exercise with a helicopter aircraft fire trainer Aug. 4, 2022, at Fort Benning Georgia. The 908th firefighters teamed with the Fort Benning Fire Department to conduct their first ever joint interoperability training and to utilize the helicopter trainer to accelerate their training in preparation for the 908 AW remission to the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. (Bradley J. Clark / U.S. Air Force)

Firefighters from the 908th Airlift Wing’s 908th Civil Engineer Squadron check their equipment as they prepare to extinguish a fire during a training exercise with a helicopter aircraft fire trainer Aug. 4, 2022, at Fort Benning Georgia. The 908th firefighters teamed with the Fort Benning Fire Department to conduct their first ever joint interoperability training and to utilize the helicopter trainer to accelerate their training in preparation for the 908 AW remission to the Air Force’s Formal Training Unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter. (Bradley J. Clark / U.S. Air Force)

“For me, these awards don’t represent individual accomplishment; they represent a team effort,” Clark said. “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.

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