News Release 10-033
For Immediate Release March 11, 2010
Contacts:
Rick Smith at 701-333-2007 (office) or 701-426-0190 (cell)
Amy Wieser Willson at 701-451-6130 (office) or 701-412-6895 (cell)
Penny Ripperger at 701-451-2195 (office) or 701-238-6944 (cell)
North Dakota Excels in National Guard Bureau Media Awards
FARGO, N.D. — The North Dakota Army National Guard received more print media awards than any other state in the 2009 National Guard Bureau Media Contest. Winners were announced today and Air Force Master Sgt. Greg Rudl, contest administrator, said North Dakota took the lead with eight awards. The North Dakota Air National Guard excelled in the Air Force photography categories, coming out with four awards.
"The successful results of this important media competition reflect the professionalism and competence of our public affairs team," said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general. "Whether conventional print, broadcast or new media, our public affairs specialists continue to do a great job telling the story of the outstanding citizen-Soldiers and citizen-Airmen of the North Dakota National Guard."
North Dakota Guardsmen at home and abroad earned recognition in the competition. As a team, the North Dakota National Guard Public Affairs Office took first place in the Special Achievement in Print Media category for the special flood edition of the North Dakota Guardian. The team also placed first in the Outstanding Initiatives in New Media category for their use of social media tools to tell the North Dakota National Guard story. North Dakota's 116th Public Affairs Detachment, which is deployed to Kosovo, placed second in that category.
"It has been a pleasure to work with such a talented group of Soldiers and Airmen this past year," said Lt. Col. Rick Smith, North Dakota National Guard public information officer. He replaced Capt. Dan Murphy, who deployed last year.
Murphy, of Bismarck, who serves as the public information officer for Multi-National Battle Group-East in Kosovo, addressed members of North Dakota's 116th Public Affairs Detachment in Kosovo and the full-time public affairs staff in North Dakota in an e-mail, saying, "You all should be very proud of your efforts and hard work. Each of the awards are well-deserved."
Sgt. Eric Jensen's writing talents stood out in the contest, earning two first-place awards, one for a feature article titled "The Party Crashers" on the National Guard's involvement with Zip to Zap in 1969, and the other for a commentary about online communities. Jensen, of Mandan, is the North Dakota Guardian editor. Smith, of Bismarck, placed third in the commentary category for a piece titled "The Art of Caring Leadership Through Attitude." Additionally, Staff Sgt. Amy Wieser Willson, of West Fargo, placed third for an artist-inspired story series that included pieces titled "The Art of War," "Brush with Greatness," and "Carving a Niche." Spc. Tiffany-Iris Heflin, of Lincoln, N.D., a unit public affairs representative with the 191st Military Police Company, earned a third-place award in the Contribution by a Stringer-Photographer category for a photo titled "Down Range."
On the Air Guard side, Senior Master Sgt. David Lipp, of Fargo, took home four photography awards. He placed first in the Sports Photo category and earned three third-place awards in the Photojournalism, Pictorial Photo and Picture Story categories.
"It's no surprise the Dave brought home so many awards again," said Capt. Penny Ripperger, 119th Wing public affairs officer. "His photography talents are well-known throughout the National Guard and the Air Force, and we're very fortunate to have someone of his skill on staff with us."
Judges reviewed 406 entries from the Army National Guard and 290 from the Air National Guard before making their decisions.
"The overall quality of entries was the best that I have seen in some time," Rudl said.
Lipp's winning Air National Guard entries will now move on to the Air Force Media Contest, an Air Force-wide competition. North Dakota's Army National Guard entries will advance to the Keith L. Ware Contest, an Army-wide competition.
To view the winning entries, go to www.ng.mil/features/MediaAwards/entries.aspx. Additionally, the North Dakota National Guard's main social media sites that earned recognition are www.facebook.com/NDNationalGuard, www.youtube.com/NDNationalGuard, www.flickr.com/photos/NDGuard and www.twitter.com/NDNationalGuard. The 116th Public Affairs Detachment Kosovo-related social media sites that were awarded are www.facebook.com/KFOR-Mulit-National-Task-Force-East, www.youtube.com/KFORPAO, www.flickr.com/photos/kfor and www.twitter.com/KFOR_PAO.
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Since the 2001 terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 3,500 Soldiers and more than 1,800 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Currently, about 800 North Dakota Guardsmen are serving overseas. With a total force of about 4,400 Soldiers and Airmen, sufficient forces remain in the state for emergency response and homeland defense.
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High-resolution photos to accompany this release are available on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/ndguard. Navigate to the photo set titled "NGB Media Awards."
Sports.jpg: While covering the North Dakota High School State Wrestling Tournament for the North Dakota Army National Guard recruiting team, Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp captured this photo of a referee with two young competitors in February 2009. The photo took first place in the sports photography category of the National Guard Bureau Media contest.
PictureStory.jpg: This collage of photos from the spring 2009 flooding across North Dakota placed third in the National Guard Bureau Media Contest. Master Sgt. David H. Lipp, of Fargo, is the multimedia manager for the North Dakota Air National Guard's 119th Wing and took the photos as he traveled the state covering the Guard's efforts in the flood fight.
Pictorial.jpg: As sandbaggers strived to reach a seemingly insurmountable goal to fill enough sandbags at the FargoDome to stop the rising floodwaters last spring, Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp photographed the efforts of community members working alongside Guardsmen in an effort to win together. The clock in the background kept ticking — 7:23 p.m. March 24, 2009 — for a contest of a different kind then what usually plays out at the Dome. Lipp earned third place in the National Guard Bureau Media Contest with this photo.
Photojournalism.jpg: Just one of several photos entered by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp in the Photojournalism category of the National Guard Bureau Media Contest, this photo became an iconic representation of the Guard's flood-fighting efforts. It has since been used in numerous publications. It shows Staff Sgt. William Griffin, of the 136th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (Devils Lake, N.D.) driving a high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (Humvee) on a road flooded by water from the Sheyenne River April 15, 2009, in Fort Ransom, N.D. Griffin and Spc. Jessica Sandberg, of the 132nd Quartermaster Battalion (Rugby, N.D.), were making a welfare visit to a rural civilian resident at his home, which was surrounded by the flood water.
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