Military Biography: Robert Crockett
Early Career and Training
I left a small university in Richmond, VA, in 1973 to join the US Army, driven by a desire to learn journalism, serve my country, and travel. Consequently, my training as a military journalist began at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana at the Defense Information School (DINFOS), a place I returned to often during my public affairs career. My first assignment was with The Monitor newspaper staff at Fort Bliss, Texas. In 1975, I moved to South Korea. There, I saw how photography drew attention to my stories for the Gauntlet Army newspaper at Osan AFB. By 1978, I transferred to Fort Knox, Kentucky, contributing to the award-winning Army newspaper, Inside the Turret.
Career Advancement
Rising Through the Ranks
Through dedication, I earned training opportunities and advanced as a Public Affairs NCO. In late 1980, I secured a prestigious position with Germany’s European Stars and Stripes newspaper. Furthermore, in 1985, I returned to DINFOS as an instructor, teaching journalists how to capture photographs that complemented their stories. After 17 years in combat support roles, I volunteered for a new position. Thus, I became the Public Affairs NCO with the 7th Engineer Brigade Headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.
Combat and Final Years
Within a year, we mobilized for combat during Operation Desert Storm. Meanwhile, in Iraq, I joined a larger task force with combat-ready engineers, escorting and providing logistics for two reporters from Chicago and Miami. Ultimately, I concluded my career as a newspaper program manager and writer with the Training and Doctrine Command, retiring as Sergeant First Class (E-7) in 1994 at Fort Monroe in Hampton, VA.
Timeline Highlights (1980-1985): European Stars & Stripes
Joining the Team
The US Navy Photojournalism Program at Syracuse University opened doors to adventurous military journalism roles worldwide. Accordingly, I chose the daily German-based, English-speaking newspaper, The European Stars & Stripes (circulation 225,000), located in Darmstadt, Germany. Though assigned to the news desk, I convinced the editor of my strength as a photojournalist. As a Syracuse alumnus, I promised visual excitement for the paper. Therefore, after requesting a month-long tryout, I quickly secured several front-page features and large photo displays, becoming the only military photojournalist among a staff of six professional shooters.
Military Without Uniforms
Stars and Stripes delivered independent news to the U.S. military community, including active-duty servicemembers, DoD civilians, veterans, contractors, and families. Governed by First Amendment principles and a congressional mandate, editorial independence was paramount. Most military journalists, including myself, worked as reporters without service uniforms to avoid influence from commanders, though we carried military ID cards and wore uniforms for training or personnel matters. Readers responded overwhelmingly positively to our coverage, and viewed a feature in Stars and Stripes as a significant honor.
Work Environment
Approximately 40 military personnel served at The European Stars & Stripes, including administrators, supervisors, and support specialists. Military journalists operated on the city desk across various departments, with some managing news bureaus throughout Germany and Europe. As a photo staffer, I traveled extensively to major European installations and capitals, often with little notice, staying overnight or for days. For urgent assignments far from headquarters, unprocessed film was handed off to contacts at military airports for delivery to our lab technicians. Some journalists even phoned in stories in near real-time.
A Familiar Day: Routine Start
A typical day might begin with printing black-and-white photos for writers, editors, or my projects. By afternoon, I could be boarding a military flight to Vincenza AFB in Italy, returning days later. Veteran photographers often noted that no two assignments were alike—a sentiment I echoed, as no two workdays mirrored each other.
A Familiar Day: Diverse Assignments
Additionally, I photographed over 450 news, features, and sports assignments, many under tight daily deadlines, covering stories in ten countries. I joined reporting teams for high-level visits, disasters, and world events, always striving to earn the trust of writers, editors, and readers through consistent delivery.
How I Worked
Half of my assignments, particularly breaking or world news, were solo endeavors. Typically, page editors requested multiple photos with captions, demanding complete identification and accurate unit designations without exception. I carried two camera bodies and an array of lenses—24mm, 35mm, 105mm, 70-210 zoom, and a 400mm fixed telephoto compact lens. Therefore, my approach was strategic: capture the defining news or feature photograph first, secure that film, then take risks for a detailed, creative series of images.
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