A Lebanon County man was twice honored recently for his service with the Pennsylvania National Guard.
Brad Rhen, an Army veteran and native of Lebanon, was recently inducted into the Army Public Affairs Association’s Honorable Order of St. Gabriel after his team, the Pennsylvania National Guard’s public affairs office, won the Army’s 2023 Public Affairs Organization of the Year.
Rhen was also named the National Guard Bureau’s 2023 Civilian Writer of the Year. Prior to his current role, Rhen was a reporter for the Reading Eagle and the Lebanon Daily News. He is a 1997 graduate of Penn State.
In total, five members of the Joint Force Headquarters public affairs team were recognized for their hard work and dedication to the Pennsylvania National Guard during a ceremony Aug. 20 at Edward Martin Hall at Fort Indiantown Gap.
Besides Rhen, the team consists of 1st Lt. Kate Kramer, Zane Craig, Major Travis Mueller, and Wayne V. Hall.
The Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs team was selected as the Department of the Army’s 2023 Public Affairs Organization of the Year (small division) during the annual Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware Communication Awards Competition. The Army Public Affairs Association also inducted them into the Order of St. Gabriel and presented them with medallions.
Brig. Gen. Laura McHugh, Deputy Adjutant General-Army of the Pennsylvania National Guard, presented the KLW award to the winners.
“This organizational award honors the collaborative spirit and collective skills of Army Public Affairs units and sections, while reinforcing the importance of the Army narrative,” McHugh said in a release. “Our team’s entry had to demonstrate how each individual media piece supported not only The Adjutant General’s communications goals, but how they furthermore aligned in support of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau and the Secretary of the Army. It is my privilege to recognize a group of folks who play an often unsung, but very important role in the telling of our stories. They convey the importance of our mission in a way the public understands. They are responsible for communicating to a vast number of audiences what it takes for the Pennsylvania National Guard to be prepared.”
After winning at the state level and then at the National Guard Bureau level, the JFHQ public affairs team earned the right to compete in the Army-level competition.
“I could not be prouder of our team and their continued efforts to tell the stories of our Soldiers and Airmen,” said Hall, the state public affairs officer. “Winning this award showcases the level of talent we’ve assembled here. Knowing that this competition category, conducted in 2023 for the first-time ever, was open to all Department of the Army public affairs shops across all components, I am especially thrilled that we were able to win this award on behalf of the Pennsylvania National Guard.”
During the ceremony, retired Col. Richard Spiegel, representing the Army Public Affairs Association, presented medallions to team members, inducting them into the Order of St. Gabriel. Hall received a medallion for the Ancient Order of St. Gabriel while the rest of the team received the Honorable Order of St. Gabriel.
According to the APAA, the Army Chief of Public Affairs designated St. Gabriel as the patron saint of Army Public Affairs in 2014. The APAA, in collaboration with the Chief of Public Affairs, designed, approved and developed the Military Order of Saint Gabriel program to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the U.S. Army public affairs community and practice.
Those awarded the Order of St. Gabriel receive a medallion attached to a gold-ribbed teal ribbon and a certificate signifying membership in an elite community of professional communicators.
“They have all contributed their own talent and storytelling for the Pennsylvania National Guard and Army, in ways that stand out in the eyes of leaders, subordinates and peers alike,” Hall said in the release. “Their talent in public affairs has shown to make a difference within and beyond the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.”
Public Affairs works to keep the American people and the military community informed and helps to establish the conditions that lead to confidence in the U.S. military and its readiness to conduct operations.
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