After a rigorous 10 months of classroom and hands-on training at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, N.Y., 32 active duty military VI specialists are now poised to return to the uniformed services as advanced storytellers.
The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps selected each service member for admission to the Military Photojournalism (MPJ) and Military Motion Media (MMM) programs, which concluded with a graduation ceremony May 9.
Beginning with an intense English and grammar refresher course in August, the students earned 30 undergraduate credit hours alongside civilian students for most of their classes in photojournalism and broadcast journalism. They had a few military-only courses taught by Syracuse University professors as well.
Upon successful completion of the MPJ or MMM programs, mass communications specialists, photographers and videographers, have a three-year service obligation and typically go on to work in duty assignments such as Combat Camera, White House TV, Stars and Stripes, or as instructors at the Defense Information School.
"As military graduates at Newhouse, we hold you to the higher standards," said Marine Master Sgt. Jeremy Vought, the evening's graduation speaker and a 2007-2008 Motion Media graduate of the program. "Your success will be determined by how your better your subordinates using the skills you've learned here."
"Through the content you create, we will fight and win using truth and credibility, "Vought said.
Military Visual Journalism Program Graduates May 2019
Military Motion Media
1.Sgt Hector de Jesus, USMC
2. SPC Cole Erickson, USA
3. SSG Henry Gundacker, USA HG
4. MC3 Lucas Hans, USN
5. SrA Tybee Hurst, USAF
6. Sgt Andrew Kuppers, USMC
7. MC3 David Lee, USN
8. Sgt Kassie McDole, USMC
9. SSgt Devin Nothstine, USAF
10. Sgt James Skelton, USMC
11. SSgt Gabriel Stuart, USAF HG
12. CW02 Pete Thibodeau, USMC
13. SSG Antonio Vincent, USA
Military Photojournalism
1. SrA Justin Armstrong, USAF
2. SSgt Michael Battles, USAF
3. MC2 Alfred Coffield, Jr., USN
4. SGT Matthew Devirgilio, US
5. Sgt Lauren Gramley, USMC HG
6. MC2 Brianna Green, USN HG
7. Cpl Tyler Harrison, USMC
8. SSgt Deana Heitzman, USAF
9. MC1 Kathryn Holm, USN
10. MC2 Gabriel Kotico, USN
11. MC2 Levingston Lewis, USN
12. SSgt Trevor McBride, USAF
13. Cpl Stormy Mendez, USMC
14. MC2 Raymond J. Minami, USN
15. SPC Miguel Pena, USA
16. SSG Kathleen Polanco, USA
17. TSgt Natasha Stannard, USAF
18. MC2 Huey Younger, USN
19. MC2 Michael Zingaro, USN
*HG Honor Graduate