Baltimore District public affairs specialists recognized with USACE, Army awards

BALTIMORE—Keeping the shipping lanes of the Baltimore Harbor open, protecting local communities from floodwaters, and rebuilding critical infrastructure in the wake of unexpected disasters are just a few of the ways the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, shapes the daily lives of millions of people across the region. While many recognize the agency for its massive civil works projects, military construction, and rapid emergency response, the true scale of this vital work often happens just out of public view.

Whether responding to historic challenges like the 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse by coordinating the critical salvage of debris from the harbor, or constructing modern barracks to support service members, the district is constantly at work behind the scenes to keep communities safe, connected, and prosperous.

Bringing these vital stories to light is the mission of a specialized team within the district, the Public Affairs Office. The Public Affairs team works to inform, engage, and educate both local communities and internal teams through strategic communications. This effort helps build public trust by highlighting how the Baltimore District executes complex engineering projects for the nation.

While these communications specialists usually operate behind the camera, their storytelling recently took center stage. Two prestigious programs, the Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware Communications Awards and the USACE Herbert A. Kassner Communication Competition, recently recognized members of the Baltimore District team for outstanding professional excellence.

The annual Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware Communications Awards competition recognizes Soldiers and Department of the Army civilians for excellence in achieving the objectives of the Army Public Affairs Program. Similarly, the Herbert A. Kassner Communication Competition honors top-tier communicators working specifically within USACE. The Baltimore District is the proud employer of winners from both contests.

David J. Adams was named the 2025 Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware Communications Awards Clark Taylor Civilian Videographer of the Year. This award, initiated in 1988, is presented to the Department of the Army civilian who sets the standard for excellence in multimedia storytelling.

Adams served in the U.S. Marine Corps for nine years as a videographer starting in 2010. This service formed the base of his knowledge, which he later expanded in the civilian world.

"After the Marines, I went to school and got my bachelor’s in digital cinematography," Adams said. "Then I did freelancing for a few years."

His military service gave him the skills and experience to capture and produce videos that tell the story of the armed forces. He has carried that dedication over to his work at the Baltimore District, where he has served for the past three years.

During this time, Adams has produced numerous video projects to keep the public and internal teams informed about the district's work. He submitted three of these video stories and a b-roll package from 2025 for the Keith L. Ware competition.

One of his featured video stories followed the DB Avalon conducting maintenance dredging in the Baltimore Harbor and its channels, showcasing a critical service the Baltimore District provides. Beyond helping environmental restoration projects like Poplar Island, dredging makes the harbor navigable and safe for massive commercial ships. This annual effort is the invisible lifeline of the regional economy, clearing away the constant buildup of natural sediment to maintain the 50-foot-deep shipping channels that allow the world's largest cargo ships to safely access the Port of Baltimore.

Adams also submitted a social media reel highlighting the cherry blossoms blooming at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. In the video, a park ranger provides a history of the fort, which was originally constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers. This visual storytelling carries unique significance as the nation celebrates its semi-quincentennial, marking 250 years of American independence, alongside the Army Corps of Engineers' own historic 250th anniversary.

These videos inform the public about the district’s efforts and history while highlighting the people who make the work possible. Adams’ ability to find the human element in each story helped him earn the Civilian Videographer of the Year honors.

"The mindset I approach each video project with is that I care about the people who I’m shooting," Adams said. "I love the projects, I love the district, and I love videography. Being able to tell each person’s story is one of the things that I love the most."

Another Baltimore District employee recognized for outstanding public affairs work is Thomas Deaton, who received the 2025 USACE Herbert A. Kassner Communication Competition Civilian Communicator of the Year award and a USACE Public Affairs Excellence Award for Command Information. Deaton also received an honorable mention from the Department of the Army for its Civilian Communicator of the Year award.

Deaton has served as a public affairs specialist at the Baltimore District for over four years. In that role, he manages the district's social media accounts, coordinates internal organizational communication, and photographs strategic command engagements.

"Most of what the Army Corps does can present as technically dense and operationally complex, and the temptation in this role can be either to oversimplify the work or to drill too heavily into the details," Deaton said. "What I’ve learned over these last few years is that if the mission is consequential, our work doesn't need to insist on it. That's true whether I'm covering a routine project milestone or coordinating messaging during something like the Key Bridge response."

Like Adams, Deaton received specialized training at the Defense Information School. Deaton also holds a degree in English, which he regularly applies to his writing and strategic messaging.

The sheer diversity of the district's missions provides Deaton with endless opportunities to cover different projects.

"I enjoy the range of subject matter the most," Deaton said. "As an English major who spent the other half of my undergraduate coursework in the environmental science building, having the opportunity to switch across projects and document the successes of our subject matter experts is always interesting to me."

While managing an organization’s social media accounts can easily turn into simply gathering and sharing others’ content, Deaton makes a point to get out into the field, shoot his own footage, and speak directly with project teams. This hands-on approach ensures a transparent, authentic portrayal of the Baltimore District’s achievements.

While the work of Deaton and Adams has elevated the district's public affairs team to a nationally recognized level, that was never their main driver. Their daily focus remains showcasing the district’s ongoing efforts to complete its vital missions, serve local communities, and keep the public informed.