By Contributing Editor Blair Drake

In October, MOAA’s Communications team received 11 top distinctions in the 2021 MarCom Awards international competition for marketing and communications professionals.

Each year, about 6,500 print and digital entries are submitted to MarCom from a dozen countries. The team received a platinum storytelling award for “The Long Road Home” (May issue of Military Officer; read the online version) and platinum design awards for “Fairways and Following Greens” (October) and “Victory Over Thirst” (July issue).

“USPHS Officers on the COVID-19 Fight” (June; online version) and “A Year in the Life of the National Guard” (August; online version) received gold storytelling awards; the Serving Those Who Serve T-shirt and “Pages of Power” (August) received gold design awards; and MOAA.org, The MOAA Newsletter, MOAA’s Facebook engagement, and the “Tim Gunn on Military-to-Civilian Fashion” video received gold digital awards.

“The Long Road Home,” the cover story in the May 2021 issue of Military Officer, also received a prestigious Ozzie award for feature design. The award is presented annually by Folio:, a publishing industry group that recognizes the work of editorial and marketing products across the consumer, B2B and nonprofit sectors.

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Ozzie award judges also recognized Military Officer with the following:

• The April 2021 issue received an honorable mention for design of a single magazine issue.
• The animated cover of the August 2021 issue received an honorable mention for digital integration with print.
• The magazine received honorable mentions for overall art direction and typography.

The “WW2 Unchronicled” series in Military Officer was recognized with an Apex Award — an annual competition for corporate and nonprofit publishers, editors, writers and designers.

The team also took home bronze EXCEL awards for best social media feed, the online 2020-21 TRICARE Guide, and editorial excellence on MOAA.org. EXCEL awards are given out by AM&P, which recognizes the work of association media across all platforms.

Blair Drake is a contributing editor for MOAA and lives in Souderton, Pa. She previously served on the editorial team of Military Officer magazine for nine years.