Photojournalism: Kleinsmith, Green, O’Quin
1st Place Photojournalism by Sgt. Alex Kleinsmith: Children from Camel Douda sit on the sidelines while watching Marines from 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion take on local Djiboutians during a friendly soccer match.
Category sponsored by John “Jawn” Harmon
1st Place: Sgt. Alex Kleinsmith, 1st Marine Logistics Group
Kleinsmith combined his reporting from Djibouti in the Horn of Africa with a series of candid photos depicting life in the volatile region. “Though the prospect of peace and stability is still years away,” wrote Kleinsmith, “the Marines continue to push forward, one bottle of water and one smile at a time.”
2nd Place: Sgt. James P.Green, MCRD San Diego
Honorable Mention: LCpl. Christopher O’Quin
More award-winning images can be seen below
1st Place Photojournalism by Sgt. Alex Kleinsmith: A nomadic Djiboutian snacks on crackers while watching Marines from Battery A, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion during a live-fire training exercise in the mountains of Djibouti, Africa. Spent shell casings made of brass are valued by the Djiboutian populace, who trade in the shells for a small, albeit vital payoff.
1st Place Photojournalism by Sgt. Alex Kleinsmith: Sgt. Matthew O'Brian, a section leader and Nashville, Tenn., native with Battery A, 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, watches a performance in Chebellier by the nine-piece U.S. Central Command Air Forces Band Live Round. Throughout the performance, O'Brian helped the children learn the names of different instruments.
1st Place Photojournalism by Sgt. Alex Kleinsmith: A Djiboutian girl stands with her family members while Marines from 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion play soccer with men from Nagad, a village just outside downtown Djibouti, Africa. The Camp Pendleton-based Marines serve as the primary security force for Camp Lemonier, Djibouti.
2nd Place: Sgt. James P.Green, MCRD San Diego
2nd Place Photojournalism by Sgt. James P.Green: Drill instructor Sgt. Brandon Guild, Platoon 1075, Company D, leg sweeps drill instructor Sgt. Mario Virto, Platoon 1069, while demonstrating proper techniques for the recruits.
2nd Place Photojournalism by Sgt. James P.Green: Recruit Ianraymond R. Fleming, Platoon 1073, Company D, does a front break fall. This move is used to avoid injury to the head and face.
2nd Place Photojournalism by Sgt. James P.Green: Recruit Roy D. Banda, Platoon 1074, Company D, low crawls through the dirt during a transition exercise from one station to another. Low crawling helps the recruits learn how to maintain a low profile while on the move.
2nd Place Photojournalism by Sgt. James P.Green: Recruit Victor R. Rivas, Platoon 1075, Company D, throws elbow strikes as a platoon mate tries to subdue him with a training pad. The Combat Conditioning Exercise course focused on both standing and ground techniques.
2nd Place Photojournalism by Sgt. James P.Green: Round kicks were one of the techniques used in the course to incorporate hand-to-hand combat along with fatigue. The intent of the course is to push recruits beyond what they believe are their physical limitations.
2nd Place Photojournalism by Sgt. James P.Green: Company D recruits fireman carry each other back and forth as they wait for their drill instructor to blow the whistle signifying a station change. The fireman carry is used to transport the wounded to safety.
Honorable Mention Photojournalism by LCpl. Christopher O’Quin
Honorable Mention Photojournalism by LCpl. Christopher O’Quin: Lance Cpl. Kenneth R. Finley and Sgt. Shawn L. Christ, both crash crewmen with MCAS Miramar aircraft rescueand fire fighting, battle a fire that spread to their right side, during a controlled burn aboard the station April 30. The firesgrew up to 20 feet high with temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees.
Honorable Mention Photojournalism by LCpl. Christopher O’Quin: Marines with MCAS Miramar Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting smother the last of the flames during a controlled burn at a "fire pit" aboard the station April 30. For the training, the Marines extinguished fire after fire trudging through water saturated with jet fuel. As a safety precaution, Marines manning four firetrucks were prepared to put out the fire at a moments notice.
Honorable Mention Photojournalism by LCpl. Christopher O’Quin: A safetyman with MCAS Miramar Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting prepares to start one of the last fires for a controlled burn aboard the station, April 30. A pump saturated the water with jet fuel to give the crash fire rescuemen the opportunity to train with the blaze.
Honorable Mention Photojournalism by LCpl. Christopher O’Quin: Marines with MCAS Miramar Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting, break off into two different groups to battle the blaze from both sides of an old aircraft cabin which is being used to simulate an aircraft crash during a controlled burn aboard the station, April 30. The Marines conduct the training on average once a month.
Honorable Mention Photojournalism by LCpl. Christopher O’Quin: Pfc. Kalyn L. Schwartz, a crash fire crewmember with MCAS Miramar Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting and native of Santee Calif., dons proximity gear before controlled burn training, April 30. A heat visor, proximity gear and oxygen tanks are some of the things which enable crash fire rescuemen to extinguish 1,000 degree fires.