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Global Strike Public Affairs wins Hap Arnold Award for Public Communication Excellence

  • Published
  • By Maja Z. Stevanovich
  • Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Air Force Global Strike Command public affairs was recently awarded a best-in-the-Air Force award for Public Affairs Communication Excellence, in recognition of the organization's support of the standup of the Command.

"Lt. Gen. Klotz set the tone by helping us get the right people on the team and setting the standard of excellence and the vision of a core team building a model major command," said Lt. Col. John Thomas, director of public affairs. "Great team, great senior leader support, and the results just followed."

The colonel also said the high deployment tempo of the public affairs career field probably helped his team to be able to adapt to the challenge of standing up a new command from scratch.

"I think we brought those same skills and the mindset of a bare-base environment to the job every day," he said. "We didn't have a lot of people, a lot of space, or a lot of equipment, just a big mission and tons of enthusiasm."

The centerpiece of the PA effort was when the command assumed responsibility for the ICBM missile mission Dec. 1: the Air Force Global Strike Command Commander, the 20th Air Force Commander and the Command Chief Master Sergeant traveled to all three missile wings in three different states in one day to introduce themselves to the Airmen at those units.

According to the award nomination package, Air Force Global Strike Command public affairs filled an important role in recapturing a nuclear culture, and informing the public of the Command's mission, vision and values.

"This Air Force-level award is a reflection of the great teamwork of not only the folks in PA at the time, but the active involvement and support of leadership at each of our six wings," said Maj. Christopher Karns, public affairs deputy director. "It's not very often people have the opportunity to be part of establishing a brand new Air Force major command; it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Members of the public affairs team serving during the award period included Colonel Thomas, Major Karns, Capt. Jamie Humphries, Ms. Carla Pampe, Master Sgt. John Asselin, on temporary duty from 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs, Nellis AFB, Nev., and Master Sgt. Andrew Leonhard, on temporary duty from 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.

The Major H.H. (Hap) Arnold award for Communication Excellence was announced by the Air Force public affairs director, Brig. Gen. (select) Les Kodlick. The Hap Arnold award is given annually to the public affairs team who provides the most effective communication support for an Air Force event.

As the first new Air Force major command to stand up in 27 years, Air Force Global Strike Command was established to provide a renewed focus on nuclear deterrence and global strike operations.

Editor's Note: The Maj. H.H. (Hap) Arnold award was named for the only Air Force Public Affairs officer to attain the rank of General of the Air Force. As a major, General Arnold was chief of the Information Division in the Office of the Chief of Air Corps, where he used his position to advocate for air power.