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Wing selects top photos of 2015

  • Published
  • 127th Wing
Photos of Airmen and aircraft heading en route to combat assignments and day-to-day training assignments at home station are included in the 2015 Photos of the Year, as captured by the 127th Wing Public Affairs team at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

Two photos related to the deployment of the 107th Fighter Squadron and related Selfridge-based units shared the honors as the 127th Wing's photo of the year, as selected by various members of the 127th Wing headquarters staff. The first photo, taken by Senior Airman Ryan Zeski, shows an A-10 Thunderbolt II as the aircraft engines are starting in the early morning darkness, preparing to depart for a six-month deployment. The co-winner, taken by Tech. Sgt. Dan Heaton, was taken during an A-10 training deployment to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, to prepare for the deployment. In the photo, 127th Operations Support Squadron Airman Adam McMann is surrounded by orange smoke as he awaits "rescue" during search and rescue training.

Zeski joined the 127th Wing in January 2015 from the active-duty Air Force. Heaton marked 10 years with the 127th Wing's PA staff this month.

"Both of these photos not only represent a talent for photography, but the story behind the photo is what really makes me proud of our PA Airmen," said Master Sgt. David Kujawa, superintendent of the 127th Wing PA shop and a past national award winner in the National Guard photo of the year contest. "Both photos show that the Airman was willing to get out there and be where the mission is, either early in the morning in Zeski's case or out in the rugged terrain of an air-to-ground range for Heaton. You can't take good photos sitting behind a desk."

A selection of the 127th Wing's top photos, along with 127th Wing videos and news stories, will be forwarded to the National Guard Bureau for consideration for national level awards.

About the 127th Wing
Comprised of approximately 1,700 personnel and flying both the A-10 Thunderbolt II and the KC-135 Stratotanker, the Michigan Air National Guard's 127th Wing supports Air Mobility Command and Air Combat Command operations by providing highly-skilled Airmen to missions domestically and overseas. The 127th Wing is the host unit at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which marks its 98th year of continuous military air operations in 2015.