Telling The Story Of War, One Photo At A Time

By TERRI of A SOLDIER’S MIND

Did anyone ever wonder about who was taking all those intense, impelling and sometime touching photos of our troops engaged in battle that are coming out of the warzone? I’m not talking about the ones we see splashed all across our television sets and newspapers. Instead, the photos I’m talking about, are the ones, that those of us who frequent military sites and blogs see on a regular basis. The kind of photos that we rarely see in the media. The photos that show us what our troops are dealing with day in and day out.

Those photos are taken, not by professional journalists, but instead by combat camera photographers, such as award-winning Air Force photographer, Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Lock. Tech. Sgt. Lock was recently chose as the Defense Department’s Military Photographer of the Year for 2007. He’s also had the distinction of being awarded that honor in 2002 and in 2005. Each of these combat photographers, are every bit, if not more of a professional, than the photojournalists who work for major media outlets.

Tech Sgt Jeremy Lock

Lock is a 15 year Air Force Veteran and is assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. He has photographed US Servicemembers in action during multiple tours to the battlefield in Afghanistan and Iraq. Combat Camera photographers such as Lock, document military operations all across the globe. Their photos are routinely viewed by Pentagon senior leaders. Lock’s phots have also appeared in major publications such as the New York Times and the LA Times. They’re also featured in the book, A Day in the Life of the United States Armed Forces, alongside photographs by 125 world-renowned photojournalists.

“We’re the eyes and ears of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” he explained.

“A good photo will tell the whole story in a split-second of a frame,” Lock said. “It leaves a lasting impression and will be etched into your mind.”

“We go and search out stories to photograph,” he said.

Combat photographers are generally paired with military combat videographers and are embedded with units. They accompany those units as they perform their missions. Lock arms himself with 2 Nikon D2X digital cameras, one with a wide-angle lens and the other with a telephoto lens. He arms himself as well with a 9 mm Beretta automatic, so that when they’re with a team, be it Army, Marines or Special Forces, they are an asset, instead of being a liability. They take turns with the troops they accompany, watching each others backs.

One photo, among his award winning portfolio, was shot by Lock in Iraq, in a Ramadi street, showing a grimacing Iraqi citizen lying in the street. He had been caught in the middle of a firefight between US forces and insurgents.

Award Winning Photo by Tech Sgt. Jeremy Lock

“We really don’t know who shot him,” Lock recalled. “We did a traffic control stop, and right before we mounted up, one of our soldiers took a bullet to the back and we got into a gunfight. After searching houses, this guy was found lying wounded on his side.”

Lock recalls being shot at numerous times during his tours in war-zones, but has thus far emerged from these encounters without injury. Despite the dangers associated with his job, Lock says being a combat photographer is the best job in the military.

“If I want to go flying in a plane one day, I can do that. If I want to go ride in a tank the next day. I can do that,” he explained. “We have the freedom to be creative and tell stories about many, many people.”

To exemplify just how seriously Lock takes his job, I’ll share a story about a battle that he photographed while deployed in Iraq, in August 2006. A battle which resulted in Lock being awarded a Bronze Star. Lock was on a mission, 70 miles West of Baghdad. One soldier was down after being hit by sniper fire and bullets were kicking up the dust all around him. Lock yelled for the Gunner to cover him and ran quickly closer to the action and began shooting photos. Lock photographed Soldiers crouched behind vehicles with bullets whizzing around them. When they needed a hand, he picked up the wounded soldiers rifle and provided cover until he was pulled to safety, before switching back to his camera.

“I don’t consider myself a fighter, but if I want to see my (two) boys again, I know I might have to pick up a gun,” Lock said.

“We’re pretty much out there on our own over there, and our job is to find units and see who’s got the action. Then we get out there and do it,” he said.

Lock and the 6 other Combat Photographers who were awarded Bronze Stars for their actions in combat said that they were awed by the Army units that they photographed. By their ability to do their jobs day in and day out, searching out insurgents, climbing dark stairways in unfamiliar places and braving the never ending heat.

“I only had to do this for four months, but they do it every day,” Lock said. “That’s why we do this, so what they do is recognized.”

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