Thirty-three public affairs officers from across Civil Air Patrol have been recognized in the organization’s annual Balsem Awards competition, held to honor PAOs’ best efforts in publicizing the organization, its members and its missions.
First Lt. Alysia English, Southeast Region director of public affairs, paced the field by attaining not only three Maj. Howell Balsem Civil Air Patrol Public Affairs Exceptional Achievement Awards but also the Maj. Al Pabon Best in Show Balsem Award. The top honor was awarded for English’s work arranging for the TV news feature on “Cadets of the Georgia Civil Air Patrol,” aired Dec. 6 by WGCL, the CBS affiliate in Atlanta.
Her work to secure the report, centered around a visit to the Dekalb County Cadet Squadron, included a comprehensive campaign – including more than 200 emails in 60 days – to ensure that the reporter and others at the station understood CAP’s legacy and missions. She was the Georgia Wing’s public affairs officer at the time.
“I challenge anyone between the ages of 12 and 21 to watch this video and not want to join CAP!” one judge said.
The Balsem awards program is named for CAP’s first PAO, who served as an Army Air Forces officer during World War II and then as the organization’s PAO from 1949-1956. The awards competition provides CAP PAOs with the opportunity for recognition for outstanding achievement in up to 11 categories.
The highest honor is the Best in Show Balsem Award, named for Pabon, former director of public affairs for the North Central Region and former national volunteer team leader for public affairs. He was named National PAO of the Year for 2006, and his newsletter and website were recognized with Balsem Awards in 2007 at the first National PAO Academy in Atlanta, when the inaugural Balsems were presented. He died unexpectedly from natural causes at age 46 on July 22, 2011.
Judges in the competition chose first-place Balsem Awards, second-place Awards of Excellence and third-place Certificates of Merit for each category, with the option of not presenting an award in any category. More than one first-, second- or third-place award were selected in some categories.
This year’s field of submissions consisted of 91 entries of public affairs work from 39 members in 36 units, representing 21 wings and seven regions. Of those entrants, members representing 29 units in 15 wings accounted for 51 awards in all – 21 Balsem Awards, 18 Awards of Excellence and 12 Certificates of Merit.
In keeping with PAOs’ emphasis on sharing CAP’s story with the public, the External Media Coverage of CAP category accounted for nearly half – 23, or 45% – of all awards, with 12 Balsems, eight Awards of Excellence and three Certificates of Merit.
English was one of 13 entrants receiving multiple awards, along with:
Four awards
Lt. Col. David Miller, Missouri Wing – Balsem Award, two Awards of Excellence, Certificate of Merit
Three awards
Maj. Madeline Kirsten, Florida Wing – three Awards of Excellence
Capt. Anibal Pacheco, Kentucky Wing – two Awards of Excellence, Certificate of Merit
Two awards
Lt. Col. Robert Bowden, Michigan Wing – two Balsem Awards
Lt. Col. Robert Ditch, Airzona Wing — Balsem Award, Award of Excellence
Lt. Col. Andrew Oppmann, Tennessee Wing (Southeast Region director of public affairs when he performed the recognized work) – two Balsem Awards
Lt. Col. Morgan Torp-Pedersen, Tennessee Wing – two Awards of Excellence
Maj. Jacob Bixler, Virginia Wing — Award of Excellence, Certificate of Merit
Maj. Patrick White, Florida Wing – two Balsem Awards
Capt. Ilse House, Kentucky Wing – Balsem Award, Award of Excellence
Capt. Alice Raatjes, Maryland Wing – Award of Excellence, Certificate of Merit
1st Lt. Rachael Mercer, South Carolina Wing – two Balsem Awards
Senior Member Marc Duome, Pennsylvania Wing – two Awards of Excellence
Here are all the award recipients:
Brochure/Poster/FlyerBalsem Award“MER-SC-074 Open House Flyer”1st Lt. Roman VitanzaFort Worth Phoenix Composite SquadronTexas Wing
Award of Excellence“Statewide Open House“Capt. Anibal PachecoFort Campbell Composite SquadronKentucky Wing
“DroneFest 2018”Senior Member Marc DuomeDoylestown Composite Squadron 907Pennsylvania Wing
Certiificate of Merit“2018 Nevada Wing Conference Promotional Materials”Capt. Maryan TookerWing HeadquartersNevada Wing
Crisis ManagementBalsem Award“Southeast Region Public Affairs Response to Hurricane Michael”Lt. Col. Andrew OppmannWing HeadquartersTennessee Wing
Event PromotionAward of Excellence“Wreaths Across America Media Kit”Lt. Col. David MillerGroup 2Missouri Wing
“Statewide Open House“Capt. Ilse HouseWing HeadquartersKentucky Wing
“DroneFest 2018Senior Member Marc DuomeDoylestown Composite SquadronPennsylvania Wing
Certificate of Merit“Wreaths Across America”Capt. Charles VaughnJacksonville Composite SquadronFlorida Wing
External Media Coverage of CAPBalsem Award“Civil Air Patrol Prepares to Assist After Hurricane Michael”Lt. Col. Andrew OppmannWing HeadquartersTennessee Wing
“WCTV Pre-Hurricane Coverage”Maj. Patrick WhiteTallahassee Composite SquadronFlorida Wing
“Post-Hurricane Recovery Story for WCTV (CBS)”Maj. Patrick WhiteTallahassee Composite SquadronFlorida Wing
“CAP on ‘Friday’s Fearless’”Capt. Bryan HollandBurlington Senior SquadronVermont Wing
“Congressional Gold Medal – Pat Shely”Capt. Ilse HouseWing HeadquartersKentucky Wing
“’The Finer Points’ Podcast Episode”Capt. Harker MileyChicago Senior SquadronIllinois Wing
“Florida Wing Civil Air Patrol Prepares For Hurricane”1st Lt. James ChamberlandPolk County Composite SquadronFlorida Wing
“TV Feature: ‘The Cadets of Georgia Civil Air Patrol’”1st Lt. Alysia EnglishRegion HeadquartersSoutheast Region
“TV News: ‘Feature, NBC 15 News, Hurricane Michael Response’”1st Lt. Alysia EnglishRegion HeadquartersSoutheast Region
“Hurricane Florence”1st Lt. Rachael MercerWing HeadquartersSouth Carolina Wing
“Cadet Heroes”2nd Lt. Diane GentzkePeachtree City Falcon Field Composite SquadronGeorgia Wing
“Civil Air Patrol Cadets Earn Awards”2nd Lt. Michelle TraversHarford Composite SquadronMaryland Wing
Award of Excellence“The Veronica Harris Show”Lt. Col. Paul CiancioloWing HeadquartersNational Capital Wing
“Wreaths Across St. Louis”Lt. Col. David MillerGroup 2Missouri Wing
“Teen Makes Tennessee HistoryLt. Col. Morgan Torp-PedersenMurfreesboro Composite SquadronTennessee Wing
“Tennessee Wing Members Return from North Carolina Florence Mission”Lt. Col. Morgan Torp-PedersenMurfreesboro Composite SquadronTennessee Wing
“Civil Air Patrol Cadets Launch Alpha III Rockets”Maj. Jacob BixlerWing HeadquartersVirginia Wing
“IACE C-17 Flight”Maj. Madeline KirstenStudent Leadership Academy Cadet SquadronFlorida Wing
“California Wing Mission Aircrew School ‘MAS’ 2018”Capt. Luis Rivas Jr.Ameila Earhart Senior Squadron 188California Wing
“Flag Day Retirement Ceremony”1st Lt. Matthew ThompsonReading Composite Squadron 811Pennsylvania Wing
Certificate of Merit“Cyber Defense Training Academy 2018” Maj. Jacob BixlerWing HeadquartersVirginia Wing
“Statewide Open House”Capt. Anibal PachecoFort Campbell Composite SquadronKentucky Wing
“Mount Airy Summer Activities”1st Lt. Mary AlvaradoMount Airy Composite SquadronMaryland Wing
MagazineBalsem Award“Music City Composite Squadron Monthly Magazine”Maj. Kevin DiversMusic City Composite SquadronTennessee Wing
PhotographyBalsem Award“2018 D.C. Cadets and the Capitol”Lt. Col. Robert BowdenLivonia Thunderbird Composite SquadronMichigan Wing
Award of Excellence“Committed to Excellence”Maj. Madeline KirstenStudent Leadership Academy Cadet SquadronFlorida Wing
“PAO Photography”Capt. Anibal PachecoFort Campbell Composite SquadronKentucky Wing
Certificate of Merit“Cadets Learn to Safely Handle a Litter Carry”Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Robert McCrackenHampton Roads Composite SquadronVirginia Wing
Slide/PowerPoint PresentationBalsem Award“GA045 Snoopy Log 2018”Lt. Col. Brian BerrySandy Springs Cadet SquadronGeorgia Wing
“Incident Commander & Public Information Officer ‘Meet the Press Crisis Management Seminar-Exercise”Lt. Col. Robert DitchFalcon Composite Squadron 305Arizona Wing
“2018 Media and Crisis Training for Georgia Wing Commanders”1st Lt. Alysia EnglishRegion HeadquartersSoutheast Region
Award of Excellence“Civil Air Patrol Marketing & Recruitment Brief: Falcon Composite Squadron 305”Lt. Col. Robert DitchFalcon Composite Squadron 305Arizona Wing
Certificate of Merit“North Carolina Wing 2018 Year-in-Review Slideshow”Capt. Lynne AlbertOrange County Composite SquadronNorth Carolina Wing
Social MediaBalsem Award“Missouri Wing Facebook Group Page”Lt. Col. David MillerGroup 2Missouri Wing
“National Aviation Week Social Media Emphasis”1st Lt. Rachael MercerWing HeadquartersSouth Carolina Wing
Award of Excellence“Rocketry Day a Success!”Maj. Madeline KirstenStudent Leadership Academy Cadet SquadronFlorida Wing
“Profiles in Leadership”Capt. Alice RaatjesWing HeadquartersMaryland Wing
“VA-141 Marches in South Norfolk 38th Annual Fourth of July Parade”1st Lt. Nancy FlanaganHampton Roads Composite SquadronVirginia Wing
Certificate of Merit“Mackinaw City Festival Parade Presentation”Lt. Col. Mark SinickiCass River Composite SquadronMichigan Wing
“Women’s History Month 2018”Capt. Alice RaatjesWing HeadquartersMaryland Wing
“Mount Airy Composite Squadron Cadet Compliment”1st Lt. Elizabeth LinaresMount Airy Composite SquadronMaryland Wing
WebsiteBalsem Award“Civil Air Patrol SmugMug”Lt. Col. Robert BowdenLivonia Thunderbolt Composite SquadronMichigan Wing
Certificate of Merit“Missouri Wing Website”Lt. Col. David MillerGroup 2Missouri Wing
“Transition to New Website”Maj. Robert ThompsonCollege Park Composite SquadronMaryland Wing
