ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Two journalists and a magazine staff turned in repeat performances by taking first-place awards in the 2005 Air Force Reserve Command Media Contest.

The Gulf Wing from the 403rd Wing, Keesler AFB, Miss., won the command’s best publication title for the second year in a row. It advanced in the magazine format publication category to the Air Force Media Contest in San Antonio, Texas, in mid-February.

Repeat individual winners were Senior Airman Heather Kelly from the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick AFB, Fla., in the news article category, and Staff Sgt. J. Justin Pearce from the Keesler’s 403rd Wing in the photojournalism category.

AFRC officials announced the command’s top entries in an e-mail message to unit commanders Feb. 16. More than 25 unit publications and 170 individual entries vied for awards in the command and the chance to compete in the service contest.

Placing second in the command publication competition for the second year in a row was the Midnight Express from the 919th Special Operations Wing, Eglin AFB Field 3, Fla. It went to the next level in the newsletter format publication category.

First-place finishers in the following individual categories also qualified to compete in the Air Force contest:

Category E, news article: first place – Airman Kelly, 920th RQW, Patrick AFB; second place – Senior Airman Jonathan Simmons, 433rd Airlift Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas; and third place – Staff Sgt. Tom Ouellette, 439th AW, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.

Category F, feature article: first place – Staff Sgt. Lara Gale, 419th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah; second place – Tech. Sgt. Sherri Savant, 917th Wing, Barksdale AFB, La.; and third place – Tech Sgt. Collen (Roundtree) McGee, 433rd AW, Lackland AFB.

Category G, commentary: first place – Senior Airman Paul Haley, 446th AW, McChord AFB, Wash.; second place – Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Walston, 917th Wing, Barksdale AFB; and third place – Tech. Sgt. Steve Staedler, 440th AW, Gen. Mitchell International Airport Air Reserve Station, Wis.

Category H, sports article: first place – Senior Airman David Younce, 512th AW, Dover AFB, Del.; second place – Tech. Sgt. Tim Taylor, 302nd AW, Peterson AFB, Colo.; and third place – Senior Airman Nicholas Przybyciel, 446th AW, McChord AFB.

Category I, series (writing): first place – 2nd Lt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo, 919th SOW, Eglin AFB Field 3 (now assigned to 512th AW, Dover AFB); second place – Senior Master Sgt. Jessica D’Aurizio and Tech. Sgt. Sherri Savant, 917th Wing, Barksdale AFB; and third place – Tech. Sgt. Shawn David McCowan, 910th AW, Youngstown ARS, Ohio.

Category J, stand-alone photograph: first place – Tech. Sgt. Julie Briden-Garcia, 301st FW, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Carswell Field, Texas; second place – Senior Airman Wes Dowdy, 917th Wing, Barksdale AFB; and third place – Sergeant Pearce, 403rd Wing, Keesler AFB.

Category K, photojournalism: first place – Sergeant Pearce, 403rd Wing, Keesler AFB; second place – Staff Sgt. Angela M. Blazier, 442nd FW, Whiteman AFB, Mo.; and third place – Sergeant Taylor, 302nd AW, Peterson AFB.

Category L, art/graphics in support of a publication: first place – James Branch, 94th AW, Dobbins ARB, Ga.; second place – Master Sgt. W.C. Pope, 439th Westover ARB; and third place – Sergeant McCowan, 910th AW, Youngstown ARS.

Category M, contribution by contractor/stringer (writer): first place – Col. Michael Underkofler, 403rd Wing, Keesler AFB (now 908th AW commander, Maxwell AFB, Ala.); second place – Master Sgt. Greg Steele, 917th Wing, Barksdale AFB; and third place – Chaplain (Capt.) John Painter, 315th AW, Charleston AFB, S.C.

Category N, contribution by contractor/stringer (photographer): first place – Tech. Sgt. Ronald Zumwalt, 301st FW, NAS JRB Fort Worth, Carswell Field; second place – Master Sgt. Heldwin Brito, 302nd AW, Peterson AFB; and third place – Bucky Parrish, 482nd FW, Homestead ARB, Fla.

Category S, outstanding new writer: first place – Airman Przybyciel, 446th AW, McChord AFB; second place – Sergeant Walston, 917th Wing, Barksdale AFB; and third place – Master Sgt. Angelita Colon-Francia, 94th AW, Dobbins ARB.

Category T, print journalist of the year – Maj. Ann Peru Knabe, 440th AW, Gen. Mitchell IAP ARS; second place – Sergeant Taylor, 302nd AW, Peterson AFB; and third place – Sandra Henry, 919th SOW, Eglin AFB Field 3.

Also qualifying to advance to the Air Force contest were:

Southern Flyer, 908th AW, Maxwell AFB, Ala., in Category B, tabloid format newspaper.

Expeditionary Air, edited by Sergeant Staedler, 440th AW, Gen. Mitchell IAP ARS, while deployed to 401st Air Expeditionary Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy, in Category O, deployed publication.

Air Reserve Personnel Update, Air Reserve Personnel Center, Denver, in Category R, Web-based publication.

Notable command publications that could not compete at the next level were the Alamo Wing, 433rd AW, Lackland AFB, which finished third overall, and the Associate Press, 446th AW, McChord AFB, which came in fourth.

Officials expect to announce the results of the Air Force contest by mid-March. (AFRC News Service)