The DVIDS Journalist of the Month for May kept the world informed about the military's rescue and recovery efforts following the Ef-5 tornado that hit Moore, Okla. Sgt. Christopher Bruce, a public affairs specialist with the... read more
The DVIDS Journalist of the Month for May kept the world informed about the military's rescue and recovery efforts following the Ef-5 tornado that hit Moore, Okla. Sgt. Christopher Bruce, a public affairs specialist with the Oklahoma National Guard, stood out because of his timely videos and the subject covered. <br /> <br />
Bruce's videos were rapidly picked up by an array of international media outlets. During May, his videos were detected as having aired 2,225 times--almost double the airings of the next closest videographer. There are more than a 1,000 as-aired media placements for Bruce's videos. Some of the media that used Bruce's videos in their coverage of the Oklahoma tornado include BBC World, FOX News, CNN Asia, Telemundo, MBC South Korea, EuroNews, ITV1, KONG-TV, KLAS-TV, KNSD-TV, The Weather Channel and many more. <br /> <br />
Bruce's videos were downloaded 374 times, which is more than 50 percent higher than the next closest videographer. On DVIDS alone, his videos were viewed almost 5,000 times in May. <br /> <br />
"SGT Christopher Bruce is one of the best broadcasters in the Army today. On the afternoon of May 20, as we were on our way to the tornado ravaged area in Moore, Okla., SGT Bruce was planning what interviews he needed and figuring out how he could get product uploaded to DVIDS that night," said MAJ Geoff Legler, public affairs officer for OKNG. "We spent five hours at the scene that night and SGT Bruce spent another five hours editing his video and uploading leaving the office at 0500. This is just a small example of what a dedicated Soldier SGT Bruce is and why he is an indispensable member of my PA team." <br /> <br />
One of the videos used repeatedly showed OKNG soldiers securing the perimeter around the Plaza Tower Elementary School, which was devastated by the May 20th tornado. Another video included an interview with an OKNG soldier talking about securing the school. Bruce's video of OKNG airmen performing search and rescue missions at night using thermal imaging technology also went viral and was viewed on DVIDS more than 2,491 times. <br /> <br />
Some of his other hot videos also focused on search and rescue missions and personal stories like a guardsman responding to tornado damage despite damage to his own home. Without Bruce's videos, people around the world may not have learned about how the National Guard troops responded to the devastating tornado in their own backyards. <br /> <br />
"SGT Bruce is one of the hardest working, most dedicated soldiers I've ever seen," said Lt. Col. Lindy I White, deputy state public affairs officer for Oklahoma Army National Guard. "He is selfless, professional, and has the technical expertise that allowed the Oklahoma National Guard Public Affairs team to demonstrate our capacity to provide coverage as a whole. He dedicated extra time to ensure maximum distribution of all products produced, not just his own. We are proud to see that SGT Bruce's team spirit and his ability to tell the Guard story is recognized." <br /> <br /> show less
