JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Eighteen public affairs Airmen representing six states and territories gathered at the 125th Fighter Wing to participate in "The Strategic Lens," an intensive military storytelling workshop held June 23-26, 2026.

The four-day training event brought together Airmen from Florida, Puerto Rico, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Illinois. The curriculum focused on elevating traditional military public affairs coverage into compelling, human-centric narratives, blending advanced visual sequencing with high-impact strategy to sharpen readiness in a complex global information environment.

The regional workshop was established at the initiative of the 125th FW, which served as the requesting entity for the specialized training. Recognizing an opportunity to supplement standard career field education with focused, advanced skills, the 125th FW public affairs office, through the initiative of U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Marissa Welker, organized the event and undertook the majority of the logistics to make the workshop a reality. The host wing's public affairs team managed the logistical footprint and coordinated specific field assignments for the incoming instructor team, transforming the concept into a premier southeastern regional public affairs workshop.

The design of the training reflects a growing demand across the Air National Guard public affairs community for immersive, interactive learning environments over traditional computer-based or virtual training platforms. Recognizing that theoretical slides cannot replicate the complexity of operational environments, field-level storytellers sought out a forum centered on deliberate, face-to-face mentorship and real-time networking. This grassroots effort resulted in a practical field workshop open to anyone looking to hone their craft alongside like-minded professionals.

The collaboration behind "The Strategic Lens" represents a continuous effort by the instructor team to fulfill these critical training opportunities across the career field. U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Scott Thompson, superintendent for the 182nd Airlift Wing, and U.S. Air Force Capt. Jonathan Padish, the public affairs section chief for the 183rd Air Component Operations Squadron, both of the Illinois Air National Guard, worked hand in hand with the 125th FW on the initial request for the workshop. As the primary instructors and curriculum designers, both Padish and Thompson have partnered over the years on a variety of workshops and training exercises to promote skill set advancement and level up capabilities across the career field. By channeling their decades of combined civilian and military experience back into the National Guard communications community, they continue to mentor younger generations and fulfill the clear need for active field training.

Because public affairs skills are highly perishable, a lack of consistent training often leads to a decline in operational proficiency. To counter this, the workshop was intentionally structured around intimate, small-class instruction immediately followed by hands-on application to cement those skills in real time.

To build sustainable proficiency, the curriculum utilized a scaffolded training model. Airmen had to navigate three distinct practical assignments. The first two served as technical building blocks, directly feeding into a comprehensive third assignment that demanded a significantly higher expectation of narrative depth and production quality.

The emphasis throughout the week was on moving out of the classroom and pushing advanced capabilities into the field under operational constraints. While classroom instruction provides the framework, the training stressed that real learning happens in the field where variables are constantly shifting. Instructors emphasized the need for students to maximize their hands-on time, equating repetition with the vital "trigger time" required to achieve greater accuracy.

Padish underscored the broader operational intent of the course layout.

"One goal of this training is to review communication planning concepts at the operational or strategic level then apply those concepts to actual tactical-level execution," Padish said. "For public affairs, that means being strategic with multimedia products."

Padish noted that the unique environment of the reserve component makes dedicated field iterations like this critical for long-term readiness.

"In the Guard, we go on duty and perform," Padish explained. "When drill weekend or orders end, it’s easy to brain dump our public affairs skills, especially if strategic communications isn’t our day job. So, one thing I stress to everyone is to not let perishable public affairs skills sit idle." Operating out of the 125th FW provided a high-tempo backdrop for the training. Airmen tested their skills against an active flight line, capturing the complex, fast-paced operations of aerospace defense while also telling stories across the entire support base as individual storytellers. Each field assignment was followed by direct post-production mentorship and critique to help participants evaluate their unique visual perspective and technical execution.

For the participants, the combination of real-world constraints and focused intent forced a shift in perspective.

"Coming to the Strategic Lens training, I had the goal of changing how I showed up to assignments," said U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Alexis Goodman, a public affairs specialist with the 169th Fighter Wing, South Carolina Air National Guard. "Traditionally, I show up, get whatever content and action I can, edit it, and then turn it in. The overarching message and theme, however, was missing within the products themselves and filled in with captions."

Goodman noted that the hands-on environment enabled the technical concepts to click in ways that static lectures could not replicate. "This training taught me how to prepare and really think about command intent and how to create content centered on that intent," Goodman said. "I’m thankful for this hands-on training. It gave me the chance to take what I learned in the classroom and apply it to real scenarios, effectively rewiring my brain to start seeing the whole story."

Beyond individual skill refinement, the workshop emphasized lateral communication and resource sharing between separate wings to maximize the training's operational impact across the broader National Guard enterprise.

“Workshops like this offer incredible value to public affairs professionals by providing unique opportunities to sharpen visual storytelling skills and further develop new tactics, techniques and share best practices with participants from sister units,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Rafael D. Rosa, public affairs superintendent with the 156th Wing, Puerto Rico Air National Guard. “Bringing these lessons back to my wing helps my team and me better communicate our mission, build stronger partnerships and deliver more effective public affairs capabilities.”

Following the conclusion of the workshop, the 18 Airmen returned to their respective home stations across the country, carrying back refined skillsets, fresh creative perspectives and a strengthened lateral network of peers ready to document and communicate the Air National Guard's mission anytime, anywhere.