Daily News reporter wins national award

In January 2015, Dayton Daily News reporter Barrie Barber, NewsCenter 7 anchor Cheryl McHenry and videographer Bob Garlock went on a 12,000-mile journey with a crew from the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

The result was a series of stories showing the challenges of performing patient care at high altitudes and the dangers endured by soldiers in war zones. During the trip, 11 wounded patients were evacuated and transported from Ramstein Air Base in Germany to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

For his behind-the-scenes look at that aeromedical evacuation and cargo hauling mission, Barber this month is being honored with an award by the journalism group Military Reporters & Editors Association.

Barber’s “From Dayton to Bagram” package of stories won in the category of Print-Small Circulation, Overseas Coverage. Winners in other categories included The New York Times, McClatchy Newspapers, Reuters, the Star-Tribune and various TV stations.

The contest was judged by the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University award will be presented March 31 at the MRE conference in Arlington, Va.

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