The photography of the DVIDS Journalist of the Month, Master Sgt. Mark Olsen, went viral in October. Olsen deployed with the 108th Wing New Jersey National Guard as part of relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey. ... more

The photography of the DVIDS Journalist of the Month, Master Sgt. Mark Olsen, went viral in October. Olsen deployed with the 108th Wing New Jersey National Guard as part of relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey.

His coverage of the storm and relief efforts may have reached more than 200 million people based on the media outlets that ran his images.

"Master Sgt. Mark Olsen's dedication to the 108th Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard as a Public Affairs Photojournalist was displayed through the Hurricane Sandy," said Capt. April Doolittle, 108 Wing Public Affairs Officer. "He continuously provided imagery of the 108th Wing airmen's response to Governor Chris Christie's call for aid, therefore we were able to showcase the great attributes of the 108th airmen helping their fellow citizens."

Although the majority of Olsen's photography rolled in late in the month, the media ran his photos more often than any other military journalist who submitted to DVIDS in October. Why? His coverage of the aftermath of Sandy was not only timely, but it also included viewpoints that the media had not already shot themselves.

Several of his photos also went viral as a result of being picked up by the Associated Press and European Pressphoto Agency wire services. These are just some of the national media that used Olsen's aerial photos of the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy to the New Jersey Coastline: The New York Times, ABC News, MSNBC, Yahoo! News, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Times and many more. One of the main photos in gallery showed the aerial view of the damage to a roller coaster off the New Jersey Coast. This photo went international too. The Telegraph, United Kingdom, added the photo to its "World News" coverage.

Just on DVIDS, Olsen's photos were downloaded more than 770 times and viewed more than 3,092 times.

From aerial photos of the storm-ravaged coast of New Jersey to photos of the New Jersey Air Guardsmen getting hands-on providing aid to local residents, Olsen shot a variety of angles of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

The National Guard featured on Facebook one of Olsen's photos--Spc. Anthony Monte providing assistant to a displaced resident. The photo generated more than 1,000 likes and 1,100 shares. An assortment of media also picked it up.

Olsen's coverage of Hurricane Sandy relief efforts continued into November.

"Master Sgt. Mark Olsen is a skilled photojournalist who epitomizes creativity and professionalism," said Chief Warrant Officer Three Patrick Daugherty, Public Affairs Officer, New Jersey National Guard. "Through his expert imagery, Master Sgt. Olsen captured the New Jersey National Guard's response to Hurricane Sandy and told the story of the soldiers and airmen who supported the massive effort."

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