SWCS recognized in Army's annual public affairs competition

By Dave Chace, SWCS Public Affairs OfficeMarch 14, 2012

The work of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School's Public Affairs Office has been recognized in the Department of the Army's annual public affairs awards competition, formally known as the 2011 Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware Awards Competition.

The SWCS Public Affairs Office placed in four separate categories.

Dave Chace, the command's civilian public affairs specialist, won a first-place Keith L. Ware award in the written series category for his coverage of the Civil Affairs Qualification Course culmination exercise at Camp Mackall in Hoffman, N.C. The series, titled "What's so civil about war, anyway?" followed a team of Civil Affairs students as they applied their lessons in coordination and relationship-building to their interactions with SWCS role-players. The CAQC is run by 3rd Battalion, 1st SWTG(A).

Chace also placed second in the news article category, for his coverage of the Advanced Medical Instructor Training program, titled "Army Green goes Carolina Blue." The program brings SWCS medical instructors from the Special Warfare Medical Group (Airborne) to get hands-on treatment experience at the University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill Jaycee Burn Center.

Sgt. 1st Class Teresa Coble brought home third-place in the television information program category for her broadcast video covering the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, titled "This isn't your Daddy's SOTIC." SOTIC is run through 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) at SWCS.

Caroline Goins, a former intern with the office, placed third in the writing category for non-qualified Public Affairs personnel with her article, "Is there a medic in the house?" highlighting the professionalism and dedication of SWCS medics during special-operations training events. Goins is now employed by a civilian publication in Fayetteville, N.C.

The Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware Public Affairs Awards Communication Competition recognizes military and civilian-employee print and broadcast practitioners for journalistic excellence in furthering the objectives of the Department of the Army internal-information program, according to the competition's website.

Each SWCS entry first competed against the entries of its fellow U.S. Army Special Operations Command units before being forwarded to the Washington, D.C. competition. One other USASOC unit, the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) out of Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was recognized in the competition, placing second in the special event category with its ribbon-cutting open house event.