Stacy Pearsall

Stacy Pearsall began her service as an Air Force photographer at the age of 17. During her time in service, she traveled to over 41 countries. She attended the Military Photojournalism Program at S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University where she was named a 50 Forward distinguished graduate. During her deployments, she earned the Bronze Star Medal and Air Force Commendation with Valor for combat actions in Iraq. Though combat disabled and retired from military service, her service animal Charlie helps her continue to work worldwide as an independent photographer and as an author, educator, military consultant, BRAVO748 public speaker and founder of the Veterans Portrait Project.

Her work has been exhibited at The Woodruff Arts Center, The Pentagon, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum among numerous other galleries and venues. She is the Producer and Host of the PBS television series, After Action. She is one of only three women to win the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) Military Photographer of the Year competition, and the first woman to earn it twice. She has authored two books – Shooter: Combat from Behind the Camera and A Photojournalist’s Field Guide: In the Trenches with Stacy Pearsall.

Stacy has been presented with the Jefferson Award and Hill Vets 100 Artist of the Year, honored with the Daughters of the American Revolution Margaret Cochran Corbin Award and the Girl Scout’s Woman of Distinction Award, lauded by President Barack Obama as a White House as a Champion of Change, and she holds an honorary doctoral degree in journalism from The Citadel. She has served as a nominating juror for the Pulitzer Prize.

Her military medals and honors include:

Bronze Star
Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster (one earned aboard Army UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopters in Iraq and the other earned aboard Marines CH-53E and CH46E Seahawks in HOA)
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation with Valor with one oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Army Achievement Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor
Air Force Combat Action Medal

Other Military Honors:
Army Combat Action Badge
Military Photographer of the year (2003 and 2007)
Joint Junior Service Member of the Year (1999, 2000, 2001)
Air Force NCO of the Year (2004)
John Levitow Recipient

Stacy became a life member of The American Legion when she transitioned out of service and joined Post 166 in Goose Creek when she settled in South Carolina a few years later.