The Norman Hatch Combat Photography Award: Avitt, Rock, Tomlinson, Aalto
The Norman Hatch Combat Photography Award 1st Place - Cpl. Andrew S. Avitt: Rifleman Lance Cpl. John Jones with Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, signals to fellow Marines as he patrols with Malaysian Army Rangers in Malaysia during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2008. CARAT 2008 is a series of bilateral exercises between U.S. armed forces and six Southeast Asian countries.
Category sponsored by Norm Hatch
1st Place: Cpl. Andrew S. Avitt, MCB Okinawa
Avitt said that “whether it be a hump through dense jungle or a damp fighting hole, where they went I went and that’s where the pictures were.” His winning photo showed LCpl John Jones of the 3rd Marine Division leading a patrol of Malaysian Army Rangers during bilateral exercises in six Southeast Asian countries.
2nd Place: LCpl. Gregory Aalto, MCAS Yuma
Honorable Mention: Cpl. Aaron J. Rock, 26 MEU
Honorable Mention: Cpl. Ryan Tomlinson, 1st MLG
Honorable Mention: LCpl. Gregory Aalto, MCAS Yuma
More award-winning images can be seen below
The Norman Hatch Combat Photography Award 2nd Place - LCpl. Gregory Aalto: A Marine acting as an aggressor bites Pfc. Anthony Rubio, artilleryman with 3rd Battalion, 12th Regiment, during the noncombatant evacuation operation exercise Friday in Brawley, Calif. More than 200 Marines and 35 aircraft participated in simultaneous operations in Brawley and Yuma. Photo by LCpl. Gregory Aalto.
The Norman Hatch Combat Photography Award Honorable Mention - Cpl. Aaron J. Rock: MIDDLE EAST (Oct. 28, 2008) – Marine CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron-264 (Rein) bring Fox Co., Battalion Landing Team 2/6, to the fight Oct. 28, 2008. HMM-264 and BLT 2/6 are the Aviation and Ground Combat Elements of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The 26th MEU is conducting the bilateral training exercise to strengthen cooperation with regional partners.
The Norman Hatch Combat Photography Award Honorable Mention - Cpl. Ryan Tomlinson: Marines with Charlie Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5 ensure the area is clear of threats during a cache search in western Anbar province May 1. The Marines with Charlie Company have found several caches around the area, including one with more than six 120 mm rounds the day before.
The Norman Hatch Combat Photography Award Honorable Mention - LCpl. Gregory Aalto: Canadian Army Special Forces soldiers rappel from a CH-146 during training Tuesday in Blythe, Calif. The 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron, based out of Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, Ontario, is here for a month to train in Yuma’s desert climate.