{"id":241,"name":"Micah Merrill","url":"http:\/\/www.sixletters.us","description":"Staff Sgt. Micah Merrill hails from Detroit, Michigan.\u00a0 He is passionate about photography and communication design.\u00a0 He is committed to helping the community and volunteers with several non-pro\ufb01t organizations including Red Cross and SFRG. He loves hiking & painting, has three dogs, and is an avid reader of National Geographic.\r\n\r\nEnlisted in the United States Army as an infantryman in February 2012. He served as an automatic ri\ufb02eman, before becoming a team leader and intelligence support team leader in Afghanistan in 2013 and 2014. He served with 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division during the period for which it earned the Meritorious Unit Citation. He deployed to Korea in 2015 as an operations sergeant with the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. In January 2017, he reclassed from Infantry to Public Affairs. He was subsequently assigned as a Public Affairs NCO with the 14th Public Affairs Detachment, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 4th Infantry Division.\r\n\r\nThroughout 2018, he supported \ufb01ve major exercises on the African continent. Merrill\u2019s photos, videos, and stories\u00a0have been included\u00a0in major publications, news stations, and key locations all over the world. In addition to social media of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Army, Dept. of Defense, and Dept. of State some of the locations his work has appeared in include: Military Times, Army Times, Air Force Times, Association of the U.S. Army, Al Jazeera, Military.com, Stars & Stripes, University of Florida, Des Moines University, Ohio State University, Uniformed Services University, Popular Mechanics, U.S. News & World Report, Teletschad, The National Museum of the United States Army, and others.\r\n\r\nIn 2019, he was recognized as the FORSCOM Military Photographer of the Year. His most recent assignment was as Noncommissioned Of\ufb01cer in Charge of Public Affairs with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. Staff Sgt. Merrill currently is completing the Military Visual Journalism program at Syracuse University. \r\n\r\nStaff Sgt. Merrill\u2019s military awards and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with six oak leaf clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Noncommissioned Of\ufb01cer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon (with numeral device), NATO ISAF Medal, Driver\u2019s Badge, and Combat Infantryman\u2019s Badge. He also served with 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division during the period for which it earned the Meritorious Unit Citation.","link":"https:\/\/newhousemilitary.syr.edu\/2021\/author\/mvmerril\/","slug":"mvmerril","avatar_urls":{"24":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7bbf37785fb59d7fde9d8efb5a38a974e8ecd74c7c8bed411ba932af938a4435?s=24&d=mm&r=g","48":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7bbf37785fb59d7fde9d8efb5a38a974e8ecd74c7c8bed411ba932af938a4435?s=48&d=mm&r=g","96":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7bbf37785fb59d7fde9d8efb5a38a974e8ecd74c7c8bed411ba932af938a4435?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"meta":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newhousemilitary.syr.edu\/2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newhousemilitary.syr.edu\/2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users"}]}}