History in the making

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tory C. Groschick
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Editor's note: This is part two of a three-part series detailing the Public Affairs mission.

People outside Barksdale notice service members in uniform everyday and thank them for what they do, but the civilian population doesn't always know how important that Airman's job is to the base.

Every profession in the military is of great importance to the overall mission. The 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs Broadcast Journalists are here to tell the stories of those who often work outside the public eye.

"You can't have a successful Air Force without all the Airmen doing their designated jobs," said Staff Sgt. Garden, 2 BW/PA broadcast journalist. "That's why we're here, to highlight these Airmen at work so the community, the families and people around the world will know what the military does."

The public may not realize it's military broadcasters who go out and capture footage of service members in action, bombs dropping, Marines storming the beaches and anything that needs to be documented. These men and women put their lives on the line to eliminate any questions about what actually took place at that significant moment in time.

"It's cool knowing the footage we capture is history," said Airman 1st Class Antonio Gonzalez, 2 BW/PA broadcast journalist. "After we're long gone, those images will still be here. That's what people will remember."

"Military broadcast journalists produce radio shows, televised news broadcasts, combat documentation and support the American Forces Radio and Television Service," said Maj. Bryan Purtell, 2 BW/PA chief.
 
"Radio and television are important, powerful tools for telling and preserving the Air Force story."

Broadcast journalists have the opportunity and privilege to see firsthand any major event on and off base that's military related, Gonzalez said.

"Whether it's the Chief of Staff or the Secretary of Defense visiting Barksdale, we're there covering it," he said. "Not many people get the opportunity to meet these high-ranking officials or shake their hands, and deliver their message to people on base and around the world."

Along with meeting many distinguished visitors and military leaders, broadcast journalists come in contact with service members filling a wide variety of important jobs and supporting critical missions.

"I love my job, because I get the chance to meet all different people with diverse cultures and personalities," said Garden. "I also get to reconnect with people I've known from tech school, other bases and deployments."

Whether mentioned in the media or not, service members are working hard worldwide daily. It's up to military broadcast journalists to ensure their stories and accomplishments are shared.