Georgia National Guard Style Guide

Georgia National GuardStyle Guide

The Georgia DoD Public Affairs Office, 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Georgia State Defense Force Public Affairs and all Unit Public Affairs offices and Unit Public Affairs Representatives follow The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual as a general guide. It is recommended for regular reference. Exceptions to that work, as well as some Army and Air Guard-specific terminology not covered there, are presented in this local style guide. From time to time, entries will be added or deleted.Also included here is the style used for text and bylines, photo cutlines and photo credits, as well as correct sizes for photos intended for use in the Georgia Guardsman, internal and external release, and the Georgia National Guard Hometown News Release Program.

Aabbreviations: Follow AP rules for abbreviations, don’t abbreviate first word of sentence.acronyms: Put in parenthesis behind the full name of the piece of equipment, organization or unit for which the acronym is used. Avoid use on second and subsequent reference. Only include an abbreviation in parenthesis after a phrase if it will be used subsequently in the story and if not well-known or clear. Don’t include (NASA) or (ANG). Do include CERF-P.activate, inactivate: Army units do not deactivate or reactivate; they are inactive or active. active duty: Lowercase on all references. Hyphenate as an adjective (an active-duty soldier), but not as a noun (he served on active duty).additionally: Try to avoid using this word. Use “also” instead (e.g., “Also, the unit gave its members…).Adjutant General: “The Adjutant General” is the proper title or “Georgia’s Adjutant General.” Uppercase first letter in each word on all references. Only sparingly use the acronym “TAG.” As with any general officer, the term “General” is acceptable on second and subsequent reference followed by the last name (i.e., Nesbitt), but don’t overuse. Use of only the last name is also acceptable on second and subsequent reference but generally not used alone for an internal audience.Afghan National Army: Uppercase the “A” in army because it is a proper noun. Use of the abbreviation ANA is acceptable on second and subsequent reference with all uppercase letters.Afghan National Police: Acceptable use is with the “P” in “Police” lowercase. Use of the abbreviation ANP is acceptable on second and subsequent reference with all uppercase letters.Air Battle Uniform: Replaced the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) for Air Guard. Spell it out on first reference; use the abbreviation on second and subsequent reference. Air National Guard abbreviations:

283rd CMCS 283rd Combat Communications Squadron, Dobbins ARB, Marietta116th ACW 116th Air Control Wing, Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins224th JCSS 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron, Brunswick139th IS 139th Intelligence Squadron, Fort Gordon, Augusta117th ACS 117th Air Control Squadron, Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah165th AW 165th Airlift Wing, Savannah International Airport, Savannah165th ASOS 165th Air Support Operations Squadron, Brunswick202nd EIS 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron, Macon

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Headquarters GA ANG Headquarters, Georgia Air National Guard, Dobbins ARB, MariettaCRTC Combat Readiness Training Center, Garden City

airborne: Uppercase only when used as part of an official unit designation (101st Airborne Division) or when used as part of a school name (e.g., the Airborne School). aircraft designations: Always use a letter followed by hyphen and number (e.g., F-16, UH-1, B-52). Georgia Army and Air Guard aircraft include, but are not limited to: C-12 turboprop (Army National Guard passenger aircraft)C-20 Gulf Stream (Army National Guard passenger jet)C-23 Sherpa C-26 turboprop (Army National Guard passenger aircraft)C-27J Spartan (National Guard turbo prop cargo and troop carrier aircraft). Shorter, two-engine version of the C-130 Hercules. The “J” designates the model number for that particular air frame.CH-47D Chinook OH-58 Kiowa UH-60L Black Hawk (designation for the medical model is HH-60M) (the “L” or “M” designates the model number for that particular type of helicopter)C-130H Hercules (the “H” in C-130H designates the model, not the name “Hercules”)

E-8C J-STARS (Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems) (Also known as Joint-STARS)Airman or Airmen: Capitalize.Al-Qaeda: This is the proper spelling for the terrorist organization. Pronounced “Al-Qaida,” using the “long I” sound. Use full name at all times.ampersand (&): Do not use in text unless part of a title. Use “and” in direct quotes.armed forces: Capitalize only as a proper name (Armed Forces Day), not as a noun (the armed forces) or adjective (an armed-forces parade).Army: Uppercase when referring to the “United States Army,” even when the word stands alone (i.e., Army). Lowercase when identifying foreign armies (the French army, the British army, the Russian army…).Army combat helmet: Replaced the old “Kevlar” or PASAT helmet. Spell out on first reference. Use the abbreviation on second and subsequent reference or use the word “helmet” to alternate the use of terms.Army combat uniform: Replaced the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU). Spell it out on first reference. Use the abbreviation on second and subsequent reference.Army regulation: Uppercase “Army,” and lowercase regulation when used alone. Uppercase if followed by the number. Use as “AR” on second reference with number (e.g., AR ______ ).Army Reserve: Can stand alone on second reference in uppercase, either as a noun or adjective, as “Reserve.” Lowercase only in the case of “reserve component.” Reservist is always uppercased.

Bbattle dress uniform: Spell it out on first reference. Use the abbreviation on second and subsequent reference. Being phased out by active duty Air Force and the Air Guard for replacement by the Air Battle Uniform. Standard field uniform worn by some foreign allies. blended wing: Term formerly applied to the Georgia Air Guard’s 116th Air Control Wing. “Blended” denotes the combining of Guard and active duty personnel.both: Use when two individuals or groups are from the same location (Spc. Robert Jones and Sgt. Ronald James, both of Company A; The 121st Infantry Regiment and the 148th Forward Support Battalion, both based in Macon). Avoid its use at the beginning of a sentence or anywhere in a sentence in which the subjects are identified (both Jones and James know…; instead, say Jones and James know… or both know…).

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Bradley: It is the M-2 or M-3 Bradley fighting vehicle. Uppercase Bradley, but do not capitalize fighting or vehicle. The name “Bradley” can be used alone upon second and subsequent references.

Ccasualty: If used to refer to simulated injuries inflicted during a training exercise, use in quotes (i.e., “casualty”) on first reference. The same rule applies to “dead,” “shot,” “wounded,” “destroyed,” etc. If they didn’t actually occur, they belong in quotes on first reference.Chief of the Joint Staff: Correct title for the officer who oversees the Joint Staff for the Director of the Joint Staff. Use the person’s rank and name first, followed by the title with the word “chief” lowercased. On second and subsequent reference the last name only.Citizen-Soldier: Capitalize the first letter in each word in their singular and plural forms when used in stories, headlines, photo captions, media advisories, and press releases, soldier is not capitalized when used in reference to foreign service members (i.e., the French soldier).Clay National Guard Center: Full proper name of the post is Gen. Lucius D. Clay National Guard Center. Use of shortened title (dropping Gen. Lucius D.) is common, acceptable usage. The single name “Clay” or abbreviation CNGC is acceptable on second and subsequent reference. The term “Camp Clay” was mistakenly used for sometime but is not an acceptable term to use in reference to Clay National Guard Center. CMF: Abbreviation for Career Management Field. Spell it out on first reference. The abbreviation is acceptable on second and subsequent reference. Command Action Group: Correct title for the section under which elements such as Georgia DoD Public Affairs and the 139th Chaplains Detachment fall. Name also denotes the title use for a Navy “Carrier Air Group.” Also used as a title for a Navy Carrier Air Group commander (i.e., “the CAG”). Spell out the title on first reference followed by the abbreviation (CAG). Use of the abbreviation on second and subsequent reference is acceptable. If used as a person’s title the person’s last name only on second and subsequent reference. Don’t use “the CAG” in reference to a person.company: See phonetic alphabet. contractions: In a news story spell out contractions. It is acceptable to use contractions in direct quotes. counterdrug task force: Use full name (i.e., Georgia Counterdrug Task Force) on first reference. “Counterdrug” is used as one word and capitalized when it is part of the full name. “Counterdrug” is capitalized when used in lieu of full proper name. Abbreviation CDTF.country names: On first reference, the name of every foreign city will be followed by the spelled-out name of the nation in which it is located (e.g., Worms, Germany). cross-training: Hyphenate.

Ddates: Use a comma after the month and year when the month, day and year are used (e.g., on Oct. 25, 2002, the unit…). No comma is needed if only the month and the day are used (e.g., Oct. 25). The month and year can be used alone when writing in general terms (e.g., The October session of the Senate Armed Services Committee… or The 2002 physical training symposium…). See the entry for “months” for those that are abbreviated. Never use the military version of how a date is written in a story (25 Oct. or 2 Feb., 2002).Department of Defense: Spell it out on first reference. Use DoD on second and subsequent reference.desert combat uniform: Spell it out on first reference. Use the abbreviation on second and subsequent reference. No longer worn by U.S. forces, but still used by some foreign allies. Desert Storm: This preferred term, and other names for that campaign, can be used (i.e., the Persian Gulf War, the Gulf War) and they are capitalized. The year is often used when referring to the

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campaign to oust Iraq from Kuwait (i.e., the 1991 Gulf War). Operation Desert Shield was the buildup to Operation Desert Storm.Director of the Joint Staff: Correct title for the officer who holds that position. Use the person’s rank and name first, followed by the title with the word “Director” uppercased. Use the person’s last name on second and subsequent reference. (See proper nouns)Dobbins Air Reserve Base: Dobbins is the Air Reserve Base located in Marietta.downlink and uplink: When meant to describe the transmission of data to or from a satellite, use “transmit” instead.due to: Often misused by journalists. “Due to” is an adjective phrase and modifies nouns. An example of this is: “Due to a virus, the soldier failed to complete his physical training test.” “Due to” modifies the verb, “failed.” Therefore, it’s being used as an adverb, not as an adjective. However, if the sentence was written: “His failure to complete the physical training test was due to a virus,” “due to” does what it should and modifies the noun, “virus.”

EEnduring Freedom: Ongoing military operation in the Global War on Terror in Afghanistan and Southwest Asia. Capitalize on all references. However, when more than one operation is named (i.e., Enduring and Iraqi Freedom) “operation” is lowered cased (i.e., operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom). (See Operation)enemy combatant: Identifies a person involved in armed conflict against a government and its military.enlisted pay grade: Never use when identifying military personnel (see the entry for rank). Used only when identifying a person’s pay grade, and the “E” is capitalized (e.g., E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4…).

FFire Direction Controller: The title for the Soldier who coordinates artillery fire for combat commanders on the battlefield. Spell it out on first reference. Use of the abbreviation is acceptable on second and subsequent reference.fort: It is always spelled out; never use “Ft.” When listing a series of posts, use “Fort” before each applicable installation (e.g., Fort Belvoir, Va.; Fort Bragg, N.C.). The same is true when identifying a single post (e.g. Fort Stewart). Use of the installation name alone (Stewart, Gillem, Gordon, etc.) is acceptable on second and subsequent reference.Forward Air Controller: Former name used for what’s now a Tactical Air Controller (TAC). Air Force or Air Guard personnel who call in, and coordinate, air strike capabilities for combat commanders out in the field. Spell it out on first reference.Forward Observer: The title used for the Soldier who call in, and coordinates, artillery to the fire direction controller. Spell it out on first reference. Use of the abbreviation (FO) is acceptable on second and subsequent reference.

Ggeneral officers: Use complete rank and full name on first reference (e.g., Maj. Gen. Terry Nesbitt). Use “General” followed by the last name on second reference (e.g., General Nesbitt). For internal audiences, always use a full rank or “ General.” For external audience, last name only is acceptable on subsequent reference.Georgia Air Guard Commander: The title for the general officer who holds the position, usually a brigadier general, major general is authorized. List the title after the person’s rank and name. Do not use the title “Assistant Adjutant General” or the abbreviation “ATAG,” unless referring to the

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politically appointed position (i.e.” was appointed the Assistant Adjutant General, Army, by the Governor”). As with any general officer, the capitalized rank “General” can be used on second and subsequent reference followed by the last name or just the person’s last name (e.g., Moore or General Moore).Georgia Army Guard Commander: The title for the general officer who holds the position, usually a brigadier general, but major general is authorized. List the title after the person’s rank and name. Do not use the title “Assistant Adjutant General” or the abbreviation “ATAG,” unless referring to the politically appointed position (i.e.,” was appointed the Assistant Adjutant General, Army, by the Governor”). As with any general officer, the capitalized rank “General” can be used on second and subsequent reference followed by the last name or just the person’s last name (e.g., Britt or General Britt).Georgia Department of Defense: Preferred umbrella term that encompasses the Georgia Army Guard, Georgia Air Guard, and Georgia State Defense Force. Can be abbreviated Ga. DoD on second and subsequent reference.Georgia State Defense Force: An all-volunteer, unpaid organization that supplements the Air and Army National Guard, A component of the Ga. DoD. Uniforms, rank structure, and chain-of-command are similar to that of the Army. Highest ranking officer is usually a brigadier general. Units, housed at Guard armories across the state, provide the Guard added resources in the medical, administration, communications and planning fields, and search and rescue. Spell it out on first reference. Use of “State Defense Force,” “GSDF” or “SDF” is acceptable on second and subsequent reference. Georgia State Defense Force Commander: The title for the general officer who holds the position; usually a brigadier general, or major general. List the title after the person’s rank and name. As with any general officer, the capitalized rank “General” can be used on second and subsequent reference followed by the last name or just the person’s last name (e.g., Bradford or General Bradford).Guardsman: Capitalize its singular and plural forms when used in stories, photo captions, media advisories and press releases. The term is gender neutral. Do not use “Guardswoman.”

HHistorical Society of the Georgia National Guard: Uppercase and use full name on first reference. Historical society, lowercased, is acceptable on second and subsequent reference.

Iindividual body armor: Identifies the protective vest worn by military and civilian law enforcement personnel for protection against grenade and artillery shell fragments, and against small arms ammunition. Spell it out on first reference – depending on the audience. The abbreviation ( IBA ) acceptable for use on second and subsequent reference.insurgent or insurgency: Used to identify a person or organization involved in an armed struggle against a government.Iraqi Freedom: Name of the military mission in the War on Terrorism based in Iraq. Capitalize on all references. Where more than one operation is named (i.e., Iraqi and Enduring Freedom), “operation” is lowered cased (i.e., operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom). This mission is now referred to as “Operation New Dawn “or the abbreviation (OND). (See operation).

JJoint Forces Headquarters: Spell it out on first reference, and capitalize the first letter of each word. The abbreviation JFHQ can be used on second and subsequent references. This is the new name for what was once identified as State Area Command (STARC). The old name is no longer acceptable.

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Joint Staff: Spell it out on first reference, and capitalize the first letter of each word, especially when using the term in copy that’s for external release. The word “staff,” with a lower-case “s,” is acceptable on second and subsequent references.Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System: Spell it out on first reference, and capitalize the first letter of each word. The abbreviation (JSTARS), in all caps, can be used on second and subsequent references.Joint Task Force 781: Georgia Guard’s “CBRNE” response team. Unit is one of 15 in the nation. Its Soldiers and Airmen provide search and rescue, evacuation and medical assistance to civil authority in time of disaster. Spell it out on first reference. The identifiers JTF 781, JTF 781st, “the JTF,” or “the 781st” are acceptable on second and subsequent reference.

Kkevlar: The old helmet once worn by U.S. forces. Explain why the helmet is called a “kevlar” (It is made of the ballistic material used in bulletproof vests worn by civilian police officers) if it’s necessary to the story. Use the kevlar or the standard name “helmet” on second and subsequent references. Do not use unless an actual kevlar, not an ACH, is intended.Korean War: Police action conducted by United Nations and American forces on the Korean Peninsula from 1950 to 1953. Never call it a police action, except when referencing the decision made by U.N. to assist the South Korean government by defending it from North Korean invasion. Never call it the Korean Conflict.

LLRSU: Abbreviation for Long Range Surveillance Unit, the Georgia Army Guard’ version of an Army Ranger company. LRSU is the designation for what is now 3rd Troop, 108th Cavalry (formerly Company H, 121st Infantry). Spell out on first reference but use the abbreviation on second and subsequent references when appropriate. Don’t confuse with 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry, the former 1st Battalion, 108th Armor headquartered in Calhoun.

MMACOM: Abbreviation for “major command.” Spell it out on first reference but use the abbreviation (MACOM) in parenthesis. The abbreviation can be used on second and subsequent references.Marine: Uppercase when referring to the branch of service (the Marine Corps, the Marines, a Marine helicopter). Always capitalize the word “Corps” when using that word alone to refer to the Marine Corps on second and subsequent reference.METL: Abbreviation for “mission essential task list.” Spell it out on first reference. The abbreviation is acceptable on second and subsequent references. military rank: Always refer to military personnel by rank, not pay grade (e.g., sergeant or Sgt., not E-5). See the entry “rank” for correct AP style designations. months: Abbreviate all months except March, April, May, June and July when the complete date is used (Oct. 25 or Feb. 2, 2002, but March 11 and June 29). No comma is necessary if the year does not follow the day. Spell out the names of all months if no specific date is used or when the month is only followed by the year (e.g. August or November 2002).MOS: Abbreviation for “Military Occupational Specialty.” Spell it out on first reference. The abbreviation is acceptable on second and subsequent references. Avoid identifying occupational specialties by their MOS Indicator (e.g., 46Q or 11B) and never use the identifier 46 Quebec or 11 Bravo) unless it is used in a direct quote. Should that be the case, be sure to identify the job skill in layman’s terms somewhere in the beginning of the story, in the quote or immediately after the quote.

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NNational Guard: Uppercase in all references. Can stand alone in uppercase as “Guard” on second reference and subsequent reference.NCO: Spell out on first reference when writing for external release. Use the acronym on second and subsequent reference. Don’t capitalize unless first word begins a sentence. Plural is NCOs not NCO’s.NCODP: Abbreviation for Noncommissioned Officer Development Program. Spell it out on first reference. The abbreviation is acceptable on second and subsequent reference.Noble Eagle: Ongoing U.S. homeland security mission in the Global War on Terrorism. Capitalize on all references. Where more than one operation is named (i.e., Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom) “operation” is lowered cased (operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom).numbers: Numbers “one” to “nine” are spelled out. Use the numerical for “10” and higher. In the case of monetary sums use “$9, $10 or $10,000,” but tens of thousands of dollars when making a broad statement of fact. When a number starts a sentence, spell it out. (i.e., Seventy five years ago the dam…)

OODP: Abbreviation for Officer Development Program. Spell it out on first reference. The abbreviation is acceptable on second and subsequent references.office: if in reference to a specific office the “O” is capitalized. (i.e.,the Public Affairs Office is performing…)Officer Candidate: Spell it out on first reference. Use only the individual’s last name on second reference, never “OC”.Officer Candidate School: Spell it out on first reference and capitalize the first letter of each word. The abbreviation is acceptable on second reference.officer pay grade: When identifying an officer use that person’s rank (e.g., lieutenant, captain, major, etc.), Never the pay grade (e.g. O-2, O-4, O-6, etc.) The same is true for warrant officers. Use the rank (e.g., warrant officer 1, chief warrant officer 2, chief warrant officer 3, ect.), not the pay grade (e.g., w-1, w-2, w-3). on duty and off duty: Same usage as “active duty”; hyphenate only as adjectives (on-duty responsibilities; off-duty activities, but “He plays in a band when he's off duty.”Operation Enduring Freedom: see “Enduring Freedom”Operation Iraqi Freedom: see “Iraqi Freedom”

Ppermanent change of station: Spell out on first reference. Can stand alone as an acronym (PCS) on second and subsequent reference. phonetic alphabet: Unless it is part of a direct quote, do not use. Avoid spelled-out versions of phonetic pronunciations (e.g., Charlie Company, Alpha Battery, etc). Use Company A, Battery B, etc.privately owned vehicle: Spell it out on first reference. Can stand alone as an abbreviation (POV) on second and subsequent reference.

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Rranger: Uppercase only when used as part of an official unit designation (75th Ranger Regiment) or when used as part of a school name (the Ranger School) or used as “Army Ranger.” Lowercase when identifying someone (e.g., “he is a ranger” or “he received ranger training”).rank: Use the following when referring to Army Guard personnel by their rank and full name. The same is true for active Army and Army Reserve:Army GuardCommissioned officers:

general Gen.lieutenant general Lt. Gen.major general Maj. Gen.brigadier general Brig. Gen.colonel Col. lieutenant colonel Lt. Col.major Maj.captain Capt.first lieutenant 1st Lt. second lieutenant 2nd Lt.

Warrant officers:

chief warrant officer Chief Warrant OfficerWhen identifying someone with this rank, also use the appropriate number designator (i.e., Chief Warrant Officer 3 Bryant Maude).

Army Enlisted ranks continued:Army Guard command sergeant major Army Guard Command Sgt. Maj.command sergeant major Command Sgt. Maj.sergeant major Sgt. Maj.first sergeant 1st Sgt.master sergeant Master Sgt.sergeant first class Sgt. 1st Classstaff sergeant Staff Sgt.sergeant Sgt.corporal Cpl.specialist Spc.private first class Pfc.private Pvt.

Air GuardCommissioned officers:

Ranks and abbreviations are the same as those used for the Army Guard. There are, however, no warrant officers. The same applies to ranks used by the active Air Force.

Enlisted ranks:command chief master sergeant Command Chief Master Sgt.

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chief master sergeant Chief Master Sgt.senior master sergeant Senior Master Sgt.master sergeant Master Sgt.technical sergeant Tech. Sgt.staff sergeant Staff Sgt.senior airman Senior Airmanairman first class Airman 1st Classairman Airmanairman basic Airman

For foreign military use the appropriate U.S. military rank with the country designator in front of the rank (i.e. Iraqi Sgt. Ronald Baker). If a Foreign Service branch has a specific designator for a rank, use it instead (i.e. Colour Sgt. Michael Bourne –British army, or Chief Sgt. Pier North –French Foreign Legion)

chaplains: In journalism style writing, identify military chaplains using their rank and their full name followed by the unit to which they are attached (e.g. “Capt. Robert Frost, a chaplain with the 48th Infantry Brigade,” or “Lt. Col. Robert Frost, head chaplain for 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment”). Don’t use “Chaplain (Capt.) Robert Frost.” It is preferred to use Chaplain without a rank on subsequent instances.plurals: Add the “s” to the principle element in the title, lowercase the first letter and spell out the ranks (e.g., majors Chris Kemper and Chris Vosso; technical sergeants John Lansing and Deidra Rodgers) when two or more people of the same rank are named in a series.retired officers: A military rank may be used on first reference for someone who has retired from the Guard (e.g., retired Army Guard Maj. Gen. William Bland or retired Air Guard Master Sgt. Bill Johnson). Do not use the abbreviation “Ret.” unless in a byline. Put the word “retired” in front of the person’s former rank.

Ranks that begin a sentence: Local style dictates that the first word in the rank is spelled out (i.e., Brigadier Gen. Maria Britt, or Second Lt. Mary Thompson, if the rank begins a sentence).

reserve component: This is always singular, and refers to the National Guard and Reserve. Lowercase as a noun (the reserve component). Lowercase and hyphenate when used as an adjective (a reserve-component soldier). reserves, reservist(s): See the entry for “Army Reserve.”Regional Training Institute: Once known as the Georgia Military Institute, this education and training arm of the Georgia Army National Guard is located at Clay National Guard Center in Marietta. Use full name (Headquarters, 122nd Regiment Regional Training Institute) on first reference. The abbreviation RTI is acceptable in second and all other subsequent references.

SSays/said: says is the active tense and is used with indirect or verbatim quotations. Past tense “said” is used with direct quotationsSept. 11, 2001: The date on which the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were struck by terrorists flying commercial jet airliners. Avoid overusing the date. Use of the term “9/11” is acceptable or some other form of the date (i.e., Sept. 11, 2001; “the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks;” etc.).

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service member: Always two words. Avoid use of this term, using instead “military member,” Soldier, Airman, Sailor, Marine, etc. ship names: The names of commercial and naval vessels of any size or nationality will always be italicized (USS Theodore Roosevelt, USNS Comfort. The prefixes USS (for a United States Navy vessel) or USNS (for an auxiliary or MTMC-type vessel) will always be plain text. SKA: Abbreviation for “skills, knowledge and attitudes.” Spell it out on first reference. The abbreviation is acceptable on second and subsequent references.slant marks [/]: “And” or “or” is preferable in all cases (“PX and commissary,” “PX or the Commissary” instead of PX/commissary). Special Forces: Uppercase only when part of an official unit designation (7th Special Forces Group; but “he is special forces qualified”).State Area Command: See the entry for Joint Forces Headquarters. Starbase program: Identified as the Peach State Starbase program. The term “Starbase program” or “Starbase” is acceptable on second and subsequent reference. Identifies the Georgia Air National Guard’s academic curriculum for fifth-grade students operated at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta. state abbreviations: Use AP style in text, but two-letter post-office style in addresses used in text. In text, state abbreviation is always followed by a comma (e.g., in Seattle, Wash., the...) except use a semicolon in a series.

TTAC Officer: This identifies a “Teaching, Advising and Counseling Officer.” This is the title used for identifying instructors of the Officer Candidate School. Spell it out on first reference. “TAC” is acceptable on second and subsequent reference. Do not upper case the full title if it comes after the Soldiers’ name (Sgt. 1st Class Jack Ryan, a teaching, advising and counseling officer…). Upper case the abbreviation when used after the person’s name (Sgt. 1st Class Jack Ryan, a TAC officer…). This is also the abbreviation for “Tactical Air Controller.”Taliban: The former government of Afghanistan. Also used to identify persons who fought for that government (e.g., Taliban fighters, never soldiers).task force: Spell out on first reference (Joint Task Force 781) and when used alone on second reference (the task force…). Use of “TF” when followed by number or name is acceptable on second reference. Hyphenate if used with a number or name (TF-111; TF-Tuzla.)titles (magazines and other media publications): The word “the” is only capitalized and italicized if it is part of the publication’s name. (i.e.; See proper nouns in AP style guide). titles (job): Lowercase a person's job title when it follows the name (Lt. James Collie, executive officer, 178th Military Police Company). See adjutant general and general officer entries for exceptions. traveling: Use only one “l” in “traveling.”time: Use only civilian time in a story (e.g., 10 a.m., 12:45 p.m.). The term “quarter past the hour” or “half past” is acceptable when it’s necessary to the story. Use “noon” or 12 p.m. for the lunch-time hour. Also, use midnight or 12 a.m. for the night-time hour. Never 1100, 0845 or 0000.

Uunit abbreviations: Spell out the unit designation (1st Battalion, 121st Infantry; Company A; Detachment 1; Troop E; etc.). Do not use phonetic designation (Charlie Company, Bravo Battery,

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etc.) unless it’s used in a direct quote. Always write out “Corps.” Abbreviating a unit’s name is acceptable in photo cutlines if the unit has already been mentioned in the story that goes with the photo or photos.unit designations: Use unit designation on first reference in stories and standalone photo cutlines. Shorten on subsequent references. Do not use lower than company level and no higher than Battalion level, as long as the Battalion is referenced elsewhere. The abbreviated version of a unit designation in photo cutlines is acceptable when identifying someone in the photo and the unit has been fully identified in the story (Spc. Joseph Lee of 1st Bn., 121st Inf.). Only use “3rd of the 2nd”or “3-2” or “3/2” on second and subsequent reference. Dashes (-) are used for all designations except Cavalry (which gets a slash ; i.e. 1/108th). It is Company A or Battery B, or Troop A. Do not use parenthetical designations [e.g., (Separate), (Mechanized), etc.]. They are not official, and they are only used in military style writing. Remember to remove superscript from the “th” in all unit designations (i.e., swap 124th MPAD for 124th MPAD). unit designation punctuation: Set off each designation element with commas, whether the element is spelled out or abbreviated (2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry, was... or 2 Bn., 3rd Inf. –was…).

Vvehicles: Humvee, never HMWWV or Hummer. Use the proper layman’s terms for identifying other types of wheeled vehicles (i.e. six-ton truck, pickup truck, jeep, etc). Unless describing the Armored Security Vehicle (ASV), then use that designation or the abbreviation.verb tense for quotations: Use past tense, “Jones said,” when the story is written to indicate the action has already happened. Use present tense, “Jones says,” when indicating the action is taking place “now” or when paraphrasing a quote. Vietnam War: No separation between “Viet” and “nam, “and the “n” is not capitalized. Uppercase the word “war.”

WWorld War I or World War II: Written out when used. Use “the world war” as a general term for either on second or subsequent reference. Never use “WWI or WWII” in journalism unless it’s in a direct quote. Its use is acceptable for military writing or historical documentation.

XYZYouth ChalleNGe Academy: Use entire name and capitalize first letter of each word when identifying the facilities at Fort Stewart and Fort Gordon and the “Youth ChalleNGe program.” Lowercase on second reference when not identifying where the program is located. Capitalize NG in “Challenge” with all references.

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Story Text

type face: Calibri, regular type. point size: 14, 13.1 kerning and normal tracking.alignment: Justified left.Indent: None.

Note: News and feature stories should be at least one and a half pages long (400-700 words), with 1.5 spacing between each line for copy editing. Spaces are removed once corrections are made. No paragraph indents are used until the text is formatted for layout. News briefs are just what the name indicates; they are a “brief” synopsis of an event. They should be no more than six paragraphs.

Note: Bylines must be included at the end of every “full” news and feature story. These are set in Calibri, point size 12, italicized and justified right e.g., Story by Spc. Heath Stone, 124th MPAD, Georgia National Guard (or Public Affairs Office Georgia Department of Defense). Add “photos by” into the byline if the writer and photographer are the same person (i.e., Story and photos by Sgt. Jeff Lowry). Make two lines when the writer and the photographer are not the same person.EXAMPLE: Story and photos by Spc. Zakil Howard or Story and photos by Sgt. Richard Holdridge 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment Public Affairs Office Georgia Army or Air National Guard Georgia Department of Defense

DatelineNote: All stories must have a dateline set in AP style. Include the date in the dateline. A long dash (–) follows the date. If you know the story is going to publications or organizations outside Georgia include the state abbreviation (Ga.,) in the dateline unless the city is one of those that stands alone according to AP style (i.e., Atlanta, Savannah, Macon, etc.).A typical dateline: CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, June 22, 2010 –

Use of QuotationsA story without quotations, unless the item is a news brief, is nothing more than a memorandum. Quotations give a story life and personalization. Include them in almost everything you write.

We will strive not to change direct quotations. Slight modification for clarity, propriety or security purposes is allowed but must be used sparingly. Public Affairs personnel unfamiliar with the vernacular of a unit or duty may cause more problems or embarrassment than anticipated by over editing quotes.

Quotations are also added by changing a paraphrased statement to a direct quotation, and by interpreting what the subject is trying to convey with his thought. (i.e., Paraphrase: some how, someway, Johnson says, he knew he and his Soldiers would make it back to FOB St. Michael, alive and together. The quote: “None of us really knew how, but we knew we were all going to make it

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back to the FOB, alive and in one piece,” Johnson said in a humble, but confidence voice. “The point was, we were going to give it everything we had.”)

Photo ‘Slugs’Now known as “VIRN,” it’s used to identify the photo so those in media or Crawford Communications technicians and editors at the Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) receiving it in Norcross, Ga., can better store, catalog and retrieve videos, photos and cutlines. VIRN uses the year, month and day the photo was taken; the letter of the service branch to identify which branch the photographer serves with; the last four numbers of the photographer’s Social Security number and the first letter of the photographers last name; and the sequence number assigned to the photo (i.e., 20070610-A-4147-D-001).

Photo Cutlines

type face: Calibri, regular type.point size: 10, italicized, with normal tracking.alignment: Justified left.

Specialist Robert Jennings, a heavy-wheeled mechanic with the 277th Maintenance Company, removes the engine of a six-ton truck for its annual overhaul.

Note: All cutlines must include a dateline and a “header” when used as a standalone photo caption or, at times, a hometown news release. In regard to the latter, the date can also be placed in the date line. All cutlines should be written in present tense.

Photo Credits

type face: Calibri, regular type.point size: 10, unbolded and italicized, with normal tracking.alignment: Justified left when not part of the caption and placed directly below the bottom right-hand corner of the photo cutline.

Note: Use the photographer’s organization, rank and name in the credit (Georgia National Guard photo by Pfc. Heather

McLemore) if that individual is with the Georgia Army or Air National Guard. Use the unit designator behind the photographer’s name and rank if that person is from a Georgia Army or Air Guard public affairs unit or from a unit outside Georgia or with a Reserve or active-duty component (Photo Spc. Curtis

Porter, 1st Combat Camera). When no name has been supplied to identify the photographer, use the designation (Contributed photo). If the photographer is a member of the Georgia State Defense Force the photo credit should read (Georgia State Defense Force photo by 1st Lt. Jim Peeler).

Note: When identifying graphic illustrations use the designation (Graphic by), and identify the individual or organization that created the graphic, if the name is supplied. The same applies to photos that are “photo illustrations.” If no identification has been given, use (Contributed graphic) or (Contributed photo illustration.).

Photo Size

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In Photoshop, under “image” find “image size” and open the file. If the image size is below 150 dpi (resolution), change it to, at least, 250 dpi. Should the image size be 250 or above, leave it as it is. Change the photo’s longest length in the top box to 1200 and save the photo as a JPEG file and at a quality of 10 maximum. Send photo as “5x7” selection and save as high.

Important: All photos must be accompanied by captions that contain complete information (see photo cutline entry). Photo credits must also accompany each photo (see photo credits entry).

Hometown News Release (see appendix)Standalone Photo

The standard photo used for the Hometown News Release is a standalone photo. It is a “working shot” of the Soldier or Airman doing his job or involved in an activity other than his military occupation. Make changes to the photo such as enhancing brightness, contrast, sharpness and color when necessary. Leave the photo uncropped; change the longest length to “12;” change the dpi to 150; and save as a JPEG file. When saving the photo, make its quality at least “10” and “maximum.” Also, identify the photo using a standard VIRN number (i.e., 20080610-A-4411-G-001).

Important: All photos for Hometown News Release Program must be accompanied by a release that contains complete information.

Hometown News Release

type face: Times New Roman, regular type. point size: 11, 13.1 kerning and normal tracking.alignment: Justified.Indent: None Dateline: Include the dateline at the beginning to identify where the photo was taken. Set these in Associated Press style. Include the state (, Ga.) and the date in the dateline when the story is being released to the Associated Press, another news service or a publication outside Georgia. In the case that the release comes from Fort Polk, La., Camp Blanding, Fla., or some other place outside the home state for release in Georgia, always include the location and state (i.e., FORT POLK, La., June 12, 2010 – ) A long dash (– ) follows the date. A typical date line: CLAY NATIONAL GUARD CENTER, Marietta, Ga., June 22, 2010 –

REMINDER: All uses of the words “Soldier” and “Airman,” singular or plural, and the word “Citizen-Soldiers,” are capitalized. Also capitalized are the words “National Guard, Guard, Guardsman and Guardsmen.”

Each Hometown News Release “should” contain the following information: Reference to the Georgia Army or Air National Guard. The Soldier or Airman’s rank and full name. The Soldier or Airman’s job (not his MOS identifier) in layman’s terms. Unit the Soldier or Airman is with and its homestation. Action taking place in the photo.

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Where the action is taking place (what town). Date the action took place. Why the action took place. Where the Soldier or Airman lives. What the Soldier or Airman does as a civilian. The name of the person’s employer and the city where the employer is located.

Example Release:

FORT STEWART, Hinesville, Ga., Feb. 23, 2005 – Georgia Army National Guard Sgt. Michael J. Rodmier, a combat medic with Forsyth’s Company C, 148th Forward Support Battalion, rushes headlong into dense smoke at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Oliver to help a simulated “casualty” during a mock mortar attack. Rodmier is among the more than 4,000 members of Georgia’s 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team getting ready for a yearlong deployment to Iraq in May. Rodmier, who lives in Macon, is a sales associate for The Home Depot in Macon. FOB Oliver, which sits on the outer fringes of this post’s training area, has been the site of several such “attacks” in recent days. This, trainers with the 5th Training Support Battalion say, provides Soldiers the opportunity to put their basic fighting skills to the test under conditions similar to what they will find during actual combat. (Georgia National Guard photo by Spc. Lanier Aimes)

Note: If the Soldier or Airmen is a full-time Guardsman, state that fact in the lead paragraph (e.g., Georgia Air National Guardsman Tech. Sgt. Michael J. Rodmier, a full-time communications specialist with…). No need to include other employer information in the release.

Photo Credits

type face: Times New Roman, regular type. point size: 11, 13.1 kerning and normal tracking.alignment: Placed at the end of the text in parenthesis. Remember, the release is something of an extended cutline as much as it is a news brief about the Soldier’s whereabouts and his activities.

Photographer’s ID: Use the photographer’s organization, rank and name in the credit (Georgia National Guard photo by Pfc. Amanda Luksic) if that individual is with the Georgia Army or Air National Guard. If the photographer is from a unit outside Georgia or with a Reserve or active-duty unit, use (Photo by Spc. Curtis Porter, 1st Combat Camera). When no name is supplied to identify the photographer, use the designation (Contributed photo). If the photographer is a member of the Georgia State Defense Force, the photo credit should read (Georgia State Defense Force photo by Sgt. Ronnie Roberts).

“Mug Shot” Photo

The Mug shot photo used for the Hometown News Release is a posed “head and shoulders” vertical photo of the Solider or Airman. The primary shot used is of the subject positioned, while holding a weapon, so that person’s face and unit patch can be seen. If that isn’t possible, a vertical straight-on, frontal shot can be used. Make the changes necessary to the photo such as enhancing brightness, contrast, sharpness and color. Crop the photo tightly from the sides, and bring the top down to just above the subject’s head; change the longest length to 1200, change the dpi to, at least, 150; and save. When saving the photo, make its quality 10 and maximum.

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Important: All photos for Hometown News Release Program must be accompanied by a release that contains complete information. See specifications under “standalone photo” above.

Hometown News Release, No Photo

This type of Hometown News Release is only used when no opportunity for a photo exists, and only as a last resort. While it is important to let the public know what the Soldiers and Airmen of the National Guard are doing, a release such as this is only used to fill space in a newspaper and is less likely to be used. A headline (i.e., Soldier, brigade getting ready for war) should be added at the top of the release.See text specifications to include type face, point size, alignment, indent and dateline under “story text.”

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Grammar Guide

The use of proper grammar is important to the Army journalist. Without it, stories and photo cutlines become disjointed and unreadable. What follows are some grammatical guidelines that need to be used for writing news and feature stories, news briefs or press releases and for cutlines.

1. Verbs HAS (have) to agree with their subjects.

2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.

4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.

5. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat)

6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.

7. Be more or less specific.

8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.

9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.

10. No sentence fragments.

11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.

12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.

13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.

14. One should NEVER generalize.

15. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.

16. Don't use no double negatives.

17. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.

18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.

19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.

20. The passive voice is to be avoided.

21. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed

in commas.

22. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.

23. Kill all exclamation points!!!!

24. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.

25. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth shaking ideas.

26. Use the apostrophe in it's proper place and omit it when its not needed.

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27. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."

28. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole (using exaggerations);

not one writer in a million can use it correctly.

29. Puns are for children, not groan readers.

30. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.

31. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.

32. Who needs rhetorical questions?

33. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

And finally...

34. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

Punctuation GuideRefer to that section in the latest Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.

Sports GuideRefer to that section in the latest Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.

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Copy Editing Symbols

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Proofreading Symbols

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