FORT BENNING, Ga. (March 27, 2013) -- Fort Benning saw several of its own bring home awards this year during the MG Keith L. Ware Public Affairs Awards Communication Competition.
The MG Keith L. Ware Public Affairs Awards Communication Competition recognizes Soldiers and Department of the Army civilian employees for excellence in furthering the objectives of the Department of the Army Public Affairs program.
The Bayonet won first place in the metro-format newspaper category, while Fort Benning TV won second place in the local television newscast category for The Benning Report.
"I am extremely proud of the talented staffs of both The Bayonet and Fort Benning Television's The Benning Report," said Gary Jones, director of public affairs for the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning. "There's a long tradition of excellence by our installation's newspaper and TV station."
Bayonet editor Lori Egan said the award validates the hard work the staff has put into the paper.
"I'm tickled pink about winning this award," Egan said. "The Bayonet is a community newspaper and we tell your story -- the Army story. Being recognized as the best newspaper in the Army validates the staff's dedication to the mission."
Egan also won first place in the civilian commentary category for her commentary "Breast Cancer: A Demographic I Would Have Rather Avoided."
She said she wrote the piece to bring awareness to breast cancer.
"I wrote about it because too many women take a wait-and-see approach to their health," Egan said. "If I changed one person's attitude, made one person more proactive about health care, that's a good thing. A lot of cancers are treatable if caught early."
Nathan Snook, Fort Benning TV's producer and director, said finishing second was not what he preferred, but that the staff is still proud of its work.
"It is a little disappointing because we have been number one the two previous years and we are used to being the best," producer and director Nathan Snook said "But, I know our viewers appreciate and enjoy our newscast, and that is what really matters."
Michael Molinaro of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit took second place in the best print series and best sports article categories.
"To be honest, I'm a little bummed out about finishing second," Molinaro said. "I lost a bet I made with another journalist last summer while we were both covering Army athletes at the Olympic Games in London. He beat me in the sports article category so now I owe him a steak dinner."
Lt. Col Don King, USAMU's commander, said Molinaro is a hard worker whose dedication has paid off.
"I am personally proud of Mike's achievement, because I know how hard he works everyday to capture the unit's mission and project it to the U.S. Army and our nation," King said. "Mike's hard work is critically important to the success of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit and its role in supporting the Army's accession and recruiting mission."
Second-place finishes aside, Molinaro said he's honored to be recognized at the Armywide competition as one of the service's top writers. But the real credit, he said, goes to his unit.
"It is truly a privilege to get to write about the Soldiers at the Army Marksmanship Unit and the great things they do every day representing our Army and training our war fighters. They make it easy for someone like me to write stories people want to read," he said.
To view the entries, visit www.army.mil/klw.
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