2026 MRE Journalism Contest Prizewinners
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2026 — Military Reporters & Editors (MRE) announces the winners of its 2026 journalism awards, recognizing outstanding reporting, photography, commentary and documentary storytelling on the US military, national security, veterans and the people affected by war.
This year’s honorees represent news organizations large and small, including national news outlets, independent publications, local newsrooms and student media. Their work examines issues ranging from military housing and service member suicides to nuclear weapons, veterans’ benefits, military operations and the human consequences of national security decisions.
René Kladzyk received the Joe Galloway Award for Inside the Fight for Safe Military Housing: Military Families Battle to Hold a Texas Housing Empire Accountable, an investigation into military families’ efforts to hold a major housing provider accountable.
Austin Campbell received the James Crawley Award for The Business of Killing: Newly Released Data Reveals Air Force Suicide Crisis After Years of Concealment, which examined newly released data on suicides in the Air Force.
The awards recognize excellence across print, digital, audio, video and photojournalism, including investigative reporting, breaking news, enterprise reporting and commentary.
MRE will honor this year’s winners at its annual conference on Nov. 13, 2026, at Northwestern University’s Medill Washington campus, located in the Washington Post building in Washington, DC. The awards presentation will begin at 5 p.m., following a day of panels and discussions on military and national security topics.
Complete List of 2026 MRE Award Winners
Joe Galloway Award
Winner: René Kladzyk — POGO Investigates
Inside the Fight for Safe Military Housing: Military Families Battle to Hold a Texas Housing Empire Accountable
James Crawley Award
Winner: Austin Campbell — The Intercept
The Business of Killing: Newly Released Data Reveals Air Force Suicide Crisis After Years of Concealment, The Intercept
Commentary / Opinion
Division 1 Winner: Michael Embrich — Rolling Stone
Recognized for a body of work examining the Trump administration’s policies affecting the Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans’ access to health care, housing and benefits.
- Veterans Are Not Exempt From ICE’s Terror Campaign
- The Greatest Victims of Trump’s Greatest Grift Are America’s Greatest Heroes
- Trump’s VA Found a New Way to Cut Disability Compensation for Vets
- Veterans Are Facing a Housing Crisis. Trump Is Making It Worse
- The VA Has a New Automation Tool to Scrutinize Benefits. What Could Go Wrong?
Division 2 Winner: Charlotte Clymer — Charlotte’s Web Thoughts (Substack)
Recognized for a body of commentary on military, national security and political issues.
- Ashli Babbitt Already Got What She Deserved
- For the Smallest Men in the World
- Pete Hegseth’s Latest Little Punk-Ass Move
- The Many Desks of Reporter Dan Lamothe
- The Extraordinary Military Career of Mark Kelly
Enterprise / Feature Reporting
Division 1 Winner: Kevin Maurer — Rolling Stone
Recognized for a two-part series:
- Inside the CIA’s Secret Afghan Army
- Fellow Unit Member Says Alleged D.C. Shooter Felt Abandoned by CIA
Division 1 Honorable Mention: Davis Winkie and team — USA Today
Contributors: Ramon Padilla, Stephen Beard, Karina Zaiets, Carlie Procell, Shawn Sullivan (senior editor, graphics and data visualization), Alex Wellerstein (nuclear weapons historian) and Gabrielle Banks (senior editor, Washington).
Recognized for a series examining America’s nuclear missile infrastructure, modernization costs and strategic choices.
- Fallout Maps Show What Could Happen if America’s Nuclear Missile Silos Were Attacked
- US Nuke Silos Get $140 Billion Upgrade. Are They a Liability or Asset?
- Crumbling Silos, Rushed Deals – How US Blew Missile Budget by Billions
- Is It Too Late to Rethink US Nuclear Strategy? Experts Review Options.
Division 2 Winner: Rachel Fobar — The War Horse
They’ve Never Been Arrested. Why Does the FBI List Thousands of Service Members as Potential Criminals?
Additional credits: Mike Frankel (managing editor), Jess Rohan (fact-checker) and Mitchell Hansen-Dewar (copyeditor).
Division 2 Honorable Mention: Heather Mongilio — USNI News
‘Trauma Alert’: Sailors Learn to Treat Combat Wounds
Investigative Reporting
Division 1 Winner: Zachary Cohen — CNN
US Commanders Bypassed Warnings About Outdated Intelligence Ahead of Strike That Hit School in Iran, Sources Say
Division 1 Honorable Mention: Daniel Johnson — The Intercept and The Assembly
Recognized for:
- Maximum Lethality: Women in the Army Are More Likely to Be Killed by Fellow Soldiers Than Enemy Combatants — The Intercept. With Austin Campbell.
- Death by a Thousand Cuts — The Assembly. Contributed reporting by Morgan Casey.
Division 2 Winner: Leah Rosenbaum — The War Horse
Recognized for a series examining companies seeking to profit from veterans’ benefits:
- This Company Is Spending Millions to Profit Off Veterans’ Benefits. Why Won’t Lawmakers Stop It?
- VA Warned These Companies They May Be Breaking the Law. Most Are Still in Business.
Breaking News
Division 1 Winner: James LaPorta — CBS News
Recognized for:
- Military Questioned Use of Makeshift Office Space Where U.S. Troops Were Killed
- Iran Appeared to Surveil Center Where U.S. Forces Were Killed, Army Memo Says
Division 2 Winner: Sam LaGrone — USNI News
Additional credit: Caitlyn Burchett.
Recognized for coverage of the USS Gerald R. Ford’s extended deployment:
- Carrier Ford’s Extension to the Middle East Could Break Recent Deployment Records
- USS Gerald R. Ford Breaks Post-Cold War Deployment Record
- USS Gerald R. Ford Comes Home
Audio Documentary
Category Winner: Quil Lawrence and team — NPR
Carlson’s War, Episode 1
Additional credits: Jenny Schmidt (editor), Andrew Sussman (editor) and Andrew Mambo (producer).
Radio
Division 1 Winner: Sean Powers, Dina Temple-Raston and Karen Duffin — Recorded Future News
Russian Recruiting Africans to the Battlefield
Division 2 Winner: Gabriel Pietrorazio — KJZZ
Japanese Internment on Tribal Land
Video Documentary
Division 1 Winner: Graham Flanagan — Business Insider
What Army Horse Soldiers Go Through in Arlington Funeral Training
Division 2 Winner: Olivia Yarvis — The Boston Globe
‘No Longer Eligible’: Inside the Lives Upended by Trump’s Transgender Military Ban
Additional credit: Anush Elbakyan (supervising editor).
TV Video News
Division 1 Winner: Joce Sterman and team — InvestigateTV
Doctors of Defense: The Whistleblowers
Additional credits: Daniela Molina (producer), Scotty Smith (photojournalist), Jill Riepenhoff (producer), Jamie Grey (director of investigations) and Lee Zurik (senior operating officer, news strategy and innovation).
Division 2 Winner: Chris Daniels and Andrea Nejman — Spotlight on America
Betrayal in the Ranks: Exposing Medical Sexual Assault in the U.S. Military
Photojournalism
Category Winner: Hector Quintanar — Getty Images
Recognized for a collection of photographs on a single topic:
- Helping Hands
- Receiving Help
- Under the Mud
- Invisible Victims
- Devastation
Student Media
Category Winner: Reece Dower — UPI
War in Iran Showcases Pentagon’s Break From Public Affairs Norms
Honorable Mention: George Headley — Small Wars Journal
Recognized for a series of national security reporting:
- China Aggression Renews Question of Whether Trump Would Defend Taiwan With US Military
- Magazine Depth: Rapid Depletion of Missile Stockpiles in Iran Raises Concerns About US Readiness
- Drones and Border Cartels
- Despite US-Canada Tensions, It’s Business as Usual at NORAD
About Military Reporters & Editors
Military Reporters & Editors is a professional association dedicated to advancing excellence in military and national security journalism. MRE supports journalists through professional development, education, networking and recognition of outstanding reporting.
To view past winners of the MRE journalism contest click here. For more information about MRE and its annual conference, visit www.militaryreporters.org.