SSgt. Stacy Pearsall, a photojournalist from the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Charleston AFB, S.C., has been named Military Photographer of the Year for 2007. She was chosen from a field of more than 1,700 entries submitted by her peers across all branches of the US military worldwide. “I really put my heart and soul into it this year,” she said. “I tried to put my subjects in the best possible light.” Pearsall took some of her winning photos while she was deployed to Iraq in the spring of 2007. This is the second time she has won the award; the first time was in 2003. Her unit also has bragging rights: the 1st CCS has produced the last six winners. (Charleston report by SrA. Sam Hymas)
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.