An IMCOM public affairs officer was named the DOD’s best civilian photographer for 2022.
Daniel Malta, the Hunter Army Airfield public affairs officer at Fort Stewart, Georgia, was named the Department of Defense Media Awards Program’s Thom-as Jefferson Civilian Photographer of the Year in June. He was eligible to compete for that award after winning U.S. Army Civilian Photographer of the Year in April in the 2022 MG Keith L. Ware Communications Competition.
“Being my own worst critic, I was pretty surprised when I received the unexpected news,” Malta said.
“I was obviously happy, but more than anything, I was just glad to not disappoint,” he said. “All my leaders, from IMCOM to the FSGA PAO office, have been super-gracious in building me up and encouraging me. My success is a direct result of that support.”
Malta said he approaches upcoming assignments with the goal of making them interesting.
“I don't want to just cover something, I want to make things exciting,” he said. “IMCOM is like an iceberg, on the surface it's a few uniform buildings and a gate, but underneath it's a massive treasure trove of moving parts.”
Malta grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2007. After graduating from the Defense Information School’s basic public affairs specialist course the following year, he worked as a broadcaster, combat correspondent, press chief, and marketing and public affairs chief.
He ended active service in 2015 to pursue full-time academics, and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Colorado State University and a master of arts degree in communications management from the University of Denver.
He worked for the Denver Army Recruiting Battalion, where he managed all advertising for Army recruiting within a three-state region. In 2018, his wife joined the U.S. Army and the family relocated to Fort Sill, where he was hired as the digital media strategist. In January 2020, he moved to Fort Stewart-HAAF.
“While I may have won a DoD-level award, I've by no means crossed the finish line. Public affairs comprises multiple disciplines, which all change as fast as the technology around us. This was a good indication I’m heading in the right direction, but the motivation to educate myself and compete is ongoing.”
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