Communicator’s performance earns MAJCOM awards Published Feb. 21, 2013 By Senior Airman Jessica Haas Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Team Minot's Public Affairs team scored major bragging rights by winning multiple MAJCOM-level awards in the Air Force Media Contest and Air Force Public Affairs Awards for Communication Excellence for 2012. These annual awards recognize individuals and organizations who demonstrate excellence in telling the Air Force and AFGSC story through various Public Affairs processes and products, including print and broadcast journalism, photography, video, graphics, web design and social media. "The winners announced have truly taken responsibility for highlighting to the world our model command and elite Airmen - and they have done so in an outstanding manner," said Col. Alex Mezynski, 5th Bomb Wing commander. The Public Affairs staff is responsible for telling the Air Force story to a global audience. This mission requires proficient communicators with skills ranging from journalism to photography. As proof of Public Affairs' exemplary performance, the team was awarded the Best Crisis Communication Award for exceptional performance in an unplanned event requiring immediate response. Team Minot's Public Affairs swiftly responded to a Minot AFB school shooting threat on Dec. 20, 2012, and consequently negated a potential panic with local and national-level media interest. The Best Issues Management Award was also awarded for Minot Public Affairs' hosting of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Nuclear Weapon Accident/Incident Exercise. In addition, Capt. Genieve N. David, 5th Bomb Wing Chief of Public Affairs, was awarded the Outstanding Company Grade Officer award. The PA team also won the following awards in the media contest: 1st Place Outstanding New Broadcaster: Airman 1st Class Michael T. Connors 1st Place Outstanding New Photographer: Airman 1st Class Andrew Crawford 1st Place Outstanding New Writer: Kiley Swopes 1st Place Website: Minot Air Force Base 1st Place Commentary: Kiley Swopes 1st Place Sports Article: Senior Airman Jose L. Hernandez 1st Place Photojournalism: Senior Airman Jose L. Hernandez 1st Place Graphics Layout and Design: Tech. Sgt. Mark Bell 1st Place Illustrative Photograph: Airman 1st Class Kristoffer Kaubisch 1st Place Picture Story: Tech. Sgt. Aaron Allmon