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Home»COMMUNITY NEWS»Niceville native wins prestigious USCG awards for photojournalism
COMMUNITY NEWS

Niceville native wins prestigious USCG awards for photojournalism

Niceville.comApril 18, 20244 Mins Read
Petty Officer Second Class Gabriel Wisdom
Petty Officer Second Class Gabriel Wisdom. (Contributed)

NICEVILLE, Fla. — A Niceville High School graduate is among the 2023 U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) journalism award winners in two photojournalism categories.

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Petty Officer Second Class Gabriel Wisdom, a native of Niceville and a 2011 graduate of Niceville High, has won second and third place in the prestigious Haley-Simpson Public Affairs Awards for the best Photo Series and best Portrait, respectively. The winners were announced on April 12.

Wisdom’s award in the best photo series division was for his photographs of the USCG training with the U.S. Army at U.S. Naval Air Station Pensacola. His award for the best portrait was for his image of U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Christopher Bartz, assistant commandant for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Information Technology.

The Chief Journalist (JOC) Alex Haley Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of authors, photographers, and writers whose published work raises service visibility. The Cmdr. Jim Simpson Award is named for the first press assistant to the Commandant and recognizes unit excellence in public affairs.

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Petty Officer Wisdom took the winning photos while stationed in New Orleans at the Coast Guard District Eight External Affairs office. He has responded to several incidents and natural disasters, such as Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Ida, the American Jazz grounding, and the Hafnia Rhine oil spill. Currently, he attends Tulane University through a USCG-funded program.

“I only got to capture Coast Guard photos for the first half of 2023, but I’m happy the small sample size of work I did was recognized in some capacity,” said Wisdom.

He said he most enjoys capturing human interest photos and portraits.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Michelle Tunez prepares to participate in a ship-clearing exercise aboard the seagoing buoy tender USCGC Walnut.
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Michelle Tunez, a maritime enforcement specialist with Coast Guard Port Security Unit 308, prepares to participate in a ship-clearing exercise aboard the seagoing buoy tender USCGC Walnut (WLB 205) in Pensacola, Florida, April 26, 2023. PSU 308 members trained with U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) to retake a ship overrun by adversaries. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabriel Wisdom)
Two uscg officers acquire a target during a training exercise aboard the seagoing buoy tender USCGC Walnut (WLB 205) in Pensacola, Florida.
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Brannix Fitzgerald and Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Peter Kalpas, maritime enforcement specialists with Coast Guard Port Security Unit 308, acquire a target during a training exercise aboard the seagoing buoy tender USCGC Walnut (WLB 205) in Pensacola, Florida, April 26, 2023. PSU 308 members trained with U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) to retake a ship overrun by adversaries. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabriel Wisdom)
U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Christopher Bartz,
U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Christopher Bartz, assistant commandant for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Information Technology and the 27th Ancient Albatross, sits for a photo in an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, April 18, 2023. During his 30 years of Coast Guard service, Bartz has been assigned to various aviation field units and responded to Hurricane Katrina and Deepwater Horizon. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabriel Wisdom)

Born and raised in Niceville, Petty Officer Wisdom enlisted in the USCG at age 25 in 2018. He attended the Mass Communication Foundations course, where he said he learned the basic skills of a military communicator.

An honor graduate, Wisdom was awarded the Best Storyteller Award.

Last year, he was named a 2022 Chief Journalist Alex Haley Award winner for his photo series capturing the USCG response to Hurricane Ian.

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Petty Officer Wisdom has cherished memories of growing up in Niceville, where he enjoyed skimboarding and surfing. He also played football while studying at Ruckel Middle School and was a member of Niceville High’s Opus One choir.

He is the son of Anna Rizza Wisdom of Niceville.

Click here to view Wisdom’s photos and videos.

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