Provided superior mentorship to 167 Public Affairs and Visual Information professionals across 70 UICs to effectively communicate the Commander's priorities. He oversaw the American Forces Public Information Management System (AFPIMS) which is an aggregate of 80 command websites under the TRADOC umbrella, a duty normally held by the Commander or his Deputy. In addition, he served as TRADOC Lead for Warrior Toughness and E-OSC, improving the quality of service for more than 13,000 Soldiers by providing knowledge, tools and resources. Finally, after assisting four Battalions in establishing highly successful command programs, he was sought out by and assigned to USAREUR for advice and expertise in creating their own Visual Information program.
Sergeant Wales raised the bar in the dissemination of visual information and operational documentation for deployed missions through her independent planning and subsequent team management, which included personnel from the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Army, in the execution of her Faces of Southern Seas feature campaign, the Sailor Hometown Shoutouts program, and the UNITAS public affairs plan. Her sustained superior performance throughout Southern Seas and UNITAS during joint and combined multi-national missions was directly responsible for countering Russian and Chinese misinformation in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility.
FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE WHILE SERVING AS A COMBAT PHOTOGRAPHER FOR OFFICE OF MARINE CORPS COMMUNICATION'S VISUAL INFORMATION AND PRODUCTION SUPPORT FROM MARCH 2016 TO SEPTEMBER 2020. STAFF SERGEANT WURTSMITH DISPLAYED EXCEPTIONAL PROFESSIONALISM, FLEXIBILITY AND STEADFAST DETERMINATION IN THE PRODUCTION OF MORE THAN 5,000 VISUAL INFORMATION PRODUCTS SUPPORTING THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS, SERGEANT MAJOR OF THE MARINE CORPS, AND DIRECTORATES ASSIGNED TO HEADQUARTERS U.S. MARINE CORPS. HE PROVIDED HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION FOR MARINE BARRACKS WASHINGTON'S PARADE SEASON FROM 2017 TO 2019, THE 2017 MARINE WEEK PHOENIX, QUANTICO MARINE BAND AT THE VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL TATTOO, MARINE DAY, AND THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF BELLEAU WOOD IN 2018. ADDITIONALLY, SERGEANT WURTSMITH DIRECTED THE 2018 U.S. MARINE CORPS CHRISTMAS VIDEO, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED ON THREE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND RECEIVED MORE THAN 600,000 VIEWS AND ENGAGED THE U.S. MARINE CORPS SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE IN OVER A THOUSAND SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS. STAFF SERGEANT WURTSMITH'S PROFESSIONALISM, PERSEVERANCE, AND DEDICATION TO DUTY REFLECTED CREDIT ON HIM AND WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE MARINE CORPS AND THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.
