Staff Sgt. Christopher Muncy, a New York City resident, takes 1st place awards in National Guard photo contest

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Staff Sgt. Christopher Muncy took this prize-winning photograph of Army Special Operations Soldiers during a Mississippi training mission in November 2014

• This photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Muncy took 1st place in the portrait category in the 2015 Air National Guard photo competition.

GABRESKI AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE (02/25/2015)(readMedia)-- New York Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Christopher Muncy, a member of the 106th Rescue Wing, based at Westhampton Beach, and a New York City resident, has received two first place awards in the Air National Guard media competition held in January.

He is originally from the Syracuse area, graduating from Jamesville Dewitt High School in 1999.

Muncy took first place in two of the photographic categories: documentation and portrait/ personality.

His winning photographs depicted Army Special Operations Soldiers conducting night operations on a boat during Operation Southern Strike 15 in Biloxi, Mississippi in November 2014 and Air National Guard member Jonathan Mazura standing in a snowfall in Feb 2014 at Gabreski Air National Guard Base.

The photographs will be submitted for judging in the Air Force media contest held later this year.

Muncy, who joined the Air Force in 2003, originally served as a personnel technician in the Air Force Reserve before becoming a public affairs specialist in 2009. He has served at the 106th Rescue Wing since 2007.

 In civilian life Muncy has worked as a photojournalist for the Village Voice, New York Times, New York Daily News, Newsday, and the Wall Street Journal.

He's won other awards for his photographs: a first place award in the National Geographic's "Full Story" competition in 2012 and a first place award in the U.S. Air Force Instagram Top Shots of 2014 competition.

Muncy also received a National Press Photographers Association Short Course Travel Grant in 2012.

His military awards include the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.