The Dalton Scholarship Program is one of the many ways AFPAA fulfills its mission to provide support to the active force. Funded in part by AFPAA members who have made a donation to AFPAA in memory of former SAF/PA Director Brigadier General Jerry Dalton, the program has two goals:
Here are the main features of the Dalton Scholarship Program:
Members interested in applying for a scholarship for college
course work should first maximize their use of Air Force tuition
assistance. This will provide more opportunities for Dalton
Scholarships to be used for professional development
opportunities for which Air Force funding is not available, such
as seminars, workshops, specialized lessons, and professional
accreditation/certification preparation courses. Dalton
Scholarships can also be used to cover remaining costs above
what Air Force tuition assistance pays.
To apply for a Dalton Scholarship:
The Air Force Public Affairs Association has selected five
recipients for the 2023 Brig. Gen. H.J. Dalton Scholarship Program.
They are:
SSgt Casey Dodd, Air Force Regional Bandsman, Band of the West,
Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
GG-12 Trevor Tiernan, Chief, Public Affairs, 67th Cyberspace Wing,
Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
MSgt Joseph Vigil, Public Affairs Superintendent, 87th Air Base
Wing/PA, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.
GS-9 Erin Wood, Chief, Community Events, 633rd Air Base Wing/Public
Affairs, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
TSgt Izabella Workman, Public Affairs NCOIC, 352nd Special
Operations Wing/Strategic Competition Cell, RAF Mildenhall, United
Kingdom.
Chuck Merlo, chairman of AFPAA’s Dalton Scholarship Committee, said
“There were twelve applicants for this year’s Dalton Scholarship
Program. All were outstanding, motivated individuals. Our goal in
the selection process was to pick those seeking reimbursement for
the most effective courses of instruction to improve their public
affairs skills with the greatest and most immediate benefit to the
Air Force.”
Six Air Force Public Affairs members were selected as the inaugural
recipients of a Dalton Scholarship from AFPAA for 2022. The
association's Board of Directors had initially planned to award five
scholarships, but the outstanding quality of the applicants
persuaded the board to award six instead.
The six recipients were:
A1C Janae Masoner
Mass Communications Specialist, 139th Airlift Wing
Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, Missouri
Maj (Lt Col select) Natassia Cherne
Deputy Commander, Air Force News Agency
Joint Base San Antonio – Randolph, Texas
Capt Victoria Wright
Public Affairs Officer, 87th Air Base Wing
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey
SrA Joseph Morales
Mass Communications Specialist, 87th Air Base Wing
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey
SSgt Haley Phillips
Public Affairs Specialist, 315th Airlift Wing
Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina
CMSgt John Herrick
Senior Enlisted Advisor, 4th Combat Camera Squadron
Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina
The first career Public Affairs officer to make Brigadier General
and head SAF/PA, Jerry Dalton worked tirelessly throughout both his
military and civilian careers to promote the advancement of the
Public Affairs profession.
Follow the links below to learn about
the distinguished career of a true legend in the field of Public
Affairs. In his
Oral History, you’ll find numerous insights and sage advice on how to handle
some of the many challenges PAs face.
General Dalton was well known for his commitment to mentoring and
encouraging the professional development of Public Affairs
personnel. He strongly promoted the value to PAs of taking advantage
of the educational opportunities offered by programs like Education
With Industry, the Air Force Institute of Technology, and the Air
Force Short Course in Communications, and of achieving professional
accreditation from organizations like the Public Relations Society
of America (PRSA).
General Dalton was elected national president of PRSA in 1990. For
years, he served as a member of The Champions for Public Relations
Student Society of America, an organization of current and retired
professionals seeking to provide superior public relations education
and training opportunities for the career field through scholarships
and awards programs. He co-chaired the national PRSA Education
Affairs Committee; chaired the Technology Task Force; and served as
a member of the Commission for Public Relations Education.
General Dalton was the founding president of the PRSA Foundation,
the philanthropic arm of PRSA committed to the development of
programs to advance PR research, education, and scholarships to
benefit the advancement of the profession.
He was featured in the 2007 edition of
"Legacies from Legends in Public Relations"
published by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations.
His tips to new members of the public relations profession in that
publication is worthwhile reading for all PAs.
In addition to earning two Distinguished Service Medals, General
Dalton was named The Outstanding Public Information Officer in
Government by the Aviation–Space Writers Association in 1974.
Boston University honored him with its Distinguished Communicator
Award in 1990, and he was inducted into the DINFOS Hall of Fame in
1992.
In 2002, he was the recipient of the AFPAA’s President Award,
presented to leaders who developed pioneering programs and policies
that impact Air Force Public Affairs. And in 2021, he entered the
inaugural class of the Air Force Public Affairs Hall of Fame —
the “Pioneer Class”.
General Dalton passed away on November 1, 2020.
AFPAA is proud to partner with General Dalton's family — his
wife Carolyn, daughter Cindy, and sons Robert and Steven — as
we work together to continue fostering his emphasis on education and
professional development. Through the establishment of the Dalton
Scholarship Program, we seek to honor General Dalton's legacy and
help nurture the next generation of Public Affairs professionals,
just like he did. We thank the members of AFPAA whose generous
contributions in General Dalton's memory make the program possible.
