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Award Winning Photography 2020

Photographer of the Year

Dana Beesley

Dana Beesley is a passionate storyteller and leader working in her 6th year of content creation. She leads a 16-marine team that specializes in all areas of public communication and digital engagement at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina.

Dana enjoys telling behind-the-scenes stories about individuals who would not normally receive coverage and prides herself on her ability to cover the backgrounds of people from all walks of life.

After graduating high school at Lewiston Senior High School, she began her studies at the University of Idaho. During her time there, she enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and shipped off to recruit training.

In 2018, Beesley graduated from the Military Photojournalism Program at S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Syracuse New York. She continues her military career at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina.

Dana's Portfolio

A photograph by 2020 Military Visual Awards Photographer of the Year, Dana Beesley

Dana's Picture Story

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Tom Brenner

Ariana Drehsler

Richard Tsong Taatarii

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News

A scheduled or unschedule event.

News 1-Place MVA 2020 by Trevor CokleyThe U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2020 graduates toss their hats skyward as the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds roar overhead during the graduation ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 18, 2020. Nine-hundred-sixty-seven cadets crossed the stage to become the Air Force/Space Force’s newest second lieutenants.

News 2-Place MVA 2020 by Sarah McClanahanMembers of the 729th Quartermaster Composite Supply Company, Maryland National Guard, are greeted after returning from their 11-month deployment Nov. 17, 2020, at a parking lot across from the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The returning Soldiers were also greeted by Maryland Lt. Gov. Boyd K. Rutherford, MDNG senior leaders, and the Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders along with their mascot, Poe. The 729th QCSC was deployed in support of NATO operations in Europe performing supply and logistics missions.

News 3-Place MVA 2020 by Angel RuszkiewiczThe remains of U.S. Army Spc. Antonio Moore, assigned to
346th Engineer Company (Route Clearance), 363rd Engineer
Battalion, 411th Engineer Brigade, are loaded onto a C-130
Hercules aircraft at Erbil Air Base in the Kurdistan Region of
Iraq as part of the journey to return to the United States, Jan.
25, 2020. Moore deployed to Syria in support of Combined Joint
Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve and died when his vehicle
rolled over during a route clearing operation.

News HM -Place MVA 2020 by Cody HendrixThe U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, conducted the final flight on the F/A-18 A/B/C/D "Legacy" Hornets marking the official transition of the Blue Angels to the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet platform. The 2020 show season marked the end of the service life of the aircraft the team has flown for 34 years. The 2021 show season will be the Blue Angels’ first year flying the Super Hornet platform as well as the 75th anniversary of the team.

News HM-Place MVA 2020 by Joshua ArmstrongAir Force wrestler Cody Surratt celebrates winning the match against his University of Northern Colorado competitor, on Sunday, February 23, during the final dual meet of the 2020 season at the United States Air Force Academy’s Clune Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Feature

A storytelling picture, not news related, usually a situation that has a strong human interest or a fresh view of a commonplace occurrence.

Feature 1-Place MVA 2020 by Aaron Zwaal (Dutch)The commander of Zr. Ms. De Ruyter and some of his crew walking in the desert of Dubai during their harbour visit during EMASOH mission during the beginning of the year for promotion purposes 11, March 2020.

Feature 2-Place MVA 2020 by Courtney WhiteMaster Gunnery Sgt. Tory Hunck and Master Sgt. Vilmary Hunck pin second lieutenant bars on the collar of their daughter, 2nd Lt. Ashley Hunck, during her commissioning ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, July 10. 2nd Lt. Hunck is a second generation Marine. Her father is the 1st Marine Division Communications Chief and her mother is the Communications Security Manager for the 3rd Marine Air Wing.

Feature 3-Place MVA 2020 by Isaac Cantrell

Feature HM-Place MVA 2020 by Jimmy Croona (Sweden)Recruits from Swedens National CBRN Defense Centre after completing the exercise Never Give Up. They are now part of the Swedish Armed Forces and no longer recruits but soldiers.

Portrait

Identifies and captures a person’s character.

Portrait 1-Place MVA 2020 by Astrid Amtén (Sweden)Tank conscripts guarding the royal castle in Stockholm.

Portrait 2-Place MVA 2020 by Rebecca Brown (British)Gurkha Recruits in Catterick, North Yorkshire.

Portrait 3-Place MVA 2020 by Corban LundborgAn Airman applies camouflage to his face during Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training, a 19-day Combat Survival Course (S-V80-A), February 25, 2020, hosted by the 22nd Training Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. The course allows Airmen the opportunity to learn and practice survival techniques required to return with honor. The frame was captured on 120mm medium format film using a Holga 120N plastic camera.

Pictorial

Exploits the visual qualities of the subject with primary emphasis on composition and aesthetics.

Pictorial 1-Place MVA 2020 by Cody HendrixThe U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, C-130 pilots and crew arrive at Naval Air Station Pensacola with the team’s new C-130J Super Hercules, alongside the Blue Angel delta formation. 2020 marks the team’s 50th year utilizing the C-130 as its lead logistics aircraft. The Blue Angels’ previous C-130 “T” model served the team for 17 years and was retired in May of 2019.

Pictorial 2-Place MVA 2020 by Nathan BeardU.S. Navy Sailors and U.S. Coast Guardsmen conduct helicopter hoist training aboard a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) assigned to the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Detroit (LCS 7) during RHIB operations. Detroit is deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility to support Joint Interagency Task Force South's mission, which includes counter illicit drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

Pictorial 3-Place MVA 2020 by Bobby YarbroughRecruits with Bravo Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, complete the Crucible aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, Feb. 20-22. The Crucible is a 54-hour culmination event that ends with recruits earning their Eagle, Globe and Anchor and the title U.S. Marine.

Pictorial HM-Place MVA 2020 by Yasuo OsakabeGraduates from Drill Instructor class 3-20 pause for a moment of prayer before their graduation ceremony on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. June 18, 2020. The mission of Drill Instructor School is to further develop the leadership, command presence, instructional ability, knowledge, and physical condition of the selected noncommissioned officers, staff noncommissioned officers to successfully perform the duties of a drill instructor.

Pictorial HM-Place MVA 2020 by Dana BeesleyA member of U.S. Navy SEAL (Sea, Air and Land) Team One conducts a high altitude low opening jump from a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron over Yokota Air Base, Japan, June 17, 2020, during Exercise Gryphon Jet. Gryphon Jet is an integrated training exercise focused on improving interoperability throughout the special operations community.

Hardware

A military asset such as aircraft, tanks, guns, etc., with emphasis on objects rather than people.

Hardware 1-Place MVA 2020 by Joshua SeybertStaff Sgt. Samuel Peoples, 911th Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion technician, closes the thrust reverser fan duct on a C-17 Globemaster III engine at the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania, July 15, 2020. Aerospace propulsion technicians perform a variety of tasks to ensure mission readiness of aircraft engines.

Hardware 2-Place MVA 2020 by Alex CookTwo U.S. Air Force and two Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II’s assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, break formation during a commemoration flight Oct. 8, 2020, over Bagdad, Arizona. The flight celebrated the partnership between the RAAF and U.S. Air Force in their joint efforts in training the world’s most capable fighter pilots at Luke AFB. The flight marked the final sortie between the two nations before Luke AFB’s Australian partners depart back home.

Hardware 3-Place MVA 2020 by Astrid Amtén (Sweeden)The Swedish air force transportation squadron during formation flight training with C130 (Hercules).

Hardware HM -Place MVA 2020 by Timothy HamlinA medical evacuation Stryker, assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, stands by during an artillery live-fire exercise in support of NATO's enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group-Poland in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, April 27, 2020. NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence consists of four battalion-sized battle groups deploying on a persistent rotational basis to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to demonstrate the alliance’s determination and ability to act as one in response to any aggression against its members.

Hardware HM-Place MVA 2020 by Jon AldermanA C-130 Hercules from the 153d Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, flies over the state of Wyoming in appreciation for essential personnel on the front lines of COVID-19 on May 15, 2020. Cheyenne, Wyo. The flight was comprised of 2 C-130 Hercules aircrafts and the route included 35 hospitals and clinics throughout the state with only two of those being diverted due to inclement weather.

Illustrative

Produced to convey a preconceived theme, concept or idea. Does not include text or graphics.

Illustrative 1-Place MVA 2020 by Bobby YarbroughDrill instructors will develop recruits into smartly disciplined, physically fit, basically trained Marines, thoroughly indoctrinated in love of the Corps and country.

Illustrative 2-Place MVA 2020 by Hille James Hillinga (Netherlands)Dutch SOF Korps commandotroepen.

Illustrative 3-Place MVA 2020 by Ezekieljay CorreaThis illustration was created to show the intensity of the hand-to-hand combat training recruits undergo throughout the thirteen weeks of Recruit Training.

Illustrative HM -Place MVA 2020 by Dayne Roberts (British)A Corporal holding a poppy. He sheds a tear, as he remembers the all solders that come before him. Do not let this be last poppy. We must not forget. We will remember them.

Illustrative HM-Place MVA 2020 by Roberta Montagnini

Combat Documentation

Depicts real-world or training operations to include combat operations, disaster relief and any contingency event.

Combat Documentation 1-Place MVA 2020 by Daniel ParkerSoldiers assigned to 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, stack up against a simulated door for a silhouette charge as part of Alpha Company, 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion's breach academy at Fort Carson, Colorado, Dec. 7, 2020. The 299th BEB hosted the breach academy for non-combat engineer Soldiers from across the brigade.

Combat Documentation 2-Place MVA 2020 by Ryan LucasU.S. Army paratroopers assigned to 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade prepare to exit an aircraft during an airborne operation in Aviano, Italy, Feb. 12, 2020. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army’s Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapidly deployable forces to Europe, Africa and Central Commands areas of responsibilities. Forward deployed across Italy and Germany, the brigade routinely trains alongside NATO allies to build partnerships and strengthen the alliance.

Combat Documentation 3-Place MVA 2020 by Sidney SaleMembers of the Republic of Guinea’s armed forces assault their objective during a simulated raid as part of the Flintlock Exercise in Nouakchott, Mauritania on Feb. 26, 2020. Flintlock is an annual, African-led integrated military and law enforcement exercise that has strengthened key partner-nation forces throughout North & West Africa as well as Western Special Operations since 2005.

Combat Documentation HM-Place MVA 2020 by River Bruce9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron B-1B Lancer mechanics take selfies as a B-1B flies overhead at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 21, 2020. The 9th EBS deployed to Guam from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, along with 200 Airmen assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas, as part of a Bomber Task Force and is supporting Pacific Air Forces’ strategic deterrence missions and commitment to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

Pandemic

Any event, moment or scene as it relates to Covid-19.

Pandemic 1-Place MVA 2020 by Ryan BreedenSailors transport a patient across the brow to be admitted aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19). Mercy deployed in support of the nation's COVID-19 response efforts, and will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals. This allows shore base hospitals to focus their efforts on COVID-19 cases. One of the Department of Defense's missions is Defense Support of Civil Authorities. DoD is supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal agency, as well as state, local and public health authorities in helping protect the health and safety of the American people.

Pandemic 2-Place MVA 2020 by Joshua ArmstrongQuarantined due to possible exposure to COVID-19, Basic Cadets from the Class of 2024 follow social-distancing precautions during the Swearing In ceremony held on Stillman Field at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Saturday July 11, 2020.