920th PA Office wins top communication honors

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Peter Dean
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The results are in and the 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs Office walked away with not one, but two Air Force Reserve Command Communication Excellence Awards, the only wing in AFRC to achieve such a feat.

Each year AFRC evaluates public affairs offices throughout the command in 14 communication categories, the winner of each category then moves on to represent AFRC at the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs competition.

The 920th RQW PA Office earned the 2012 AFRC Best Integrated Communication Award for their outstanding support of the 2012 Cocoa Beach Air Show, the largest community outreach event on the Space Coast. Additionally the 920th RQW PA Office received the 2012 AFRC Best Innovative Communication Award for their How-to-Save-a-Life information campaign that highlighted the wing's unique combat search and rescue mission, to include a printed 100-page visual narrative of real-world lifesaving missions.

The 920th RQW has the most unique mission in the Air Force Reserve, combat search and rescue (CSAR) and also one of the most marketable missions. Although, due to its overall small size in scope in relation to other military services' special operations troops, pararescue Airmen (combat rescue officers, pararescuemen (PJs) and survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) specialists) have gotten little public recognition through the years. Many people, even within the Air Force, know little about CSAR and Pararescue Airmen. The 920th PA Team created exciting visual masterpieces to create a buzz and get people's attention.

The awards didn't stop there, Master Sgt. Luke Johnson, 943rd Rescue Group, a geographically separated unit that falls under the 920th RQW earned the 2012 AFRC Outstanding Communication Tactical-Level Civilian.

"Well deserved, these awards recognize the hard work and relentless effort they put forth to keep the wing in the forefront of the media and the community," said Col. Jeffrey Macrander, 920th RQW Commander. "I am very proud of my PA team; they're second to none."

For a full list of AFRC Communication Excellence Awards winners click here.

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