WASHINGTON—What do you do when your tripod is too bulky to fit under the seat of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter or an up-armored vehicle? You leave it behind and improvise.
Gail McCabe
"I conducted an interview with a high-ranking Army general using the edge of a Humvee as my tripod and an MRE on one corner to keep it level," said Gail McCabe, a well-known videographer for the Department of Defense. "That was a hoot."
McCabe will be a featured speaker at the upcoming Government Video Expo and National Drone Show in December, sharing the challenges and rewards of her time spent with U.S. troops during her session "Combat, Culture and Communication: A War Correspondent's Stories From the Front Line."
“I am, at heart, a storyteller,” McCabe said. “I think some of my stories may offer attendees insight into what it takes to operate as a ‘one woman band’ in hostile environments.”
The executive director at CreativeMediaMatters, McCabe works as a visual storyteller, bringing business and human-interest stories to life. She also utilizes her extensive experience as a media consultant and broadcast trainer.
McCabe has earned accolades as a recognized contributor to the American Forces Radio & Television Service broadcast network, establishing herself as a top producer/communicator for the Department of Defense. Her many in-depth interviews with high-profile leaders were frequently featured on her own program, "A Closer Look With Gail McCabe." Her work has aired on DoD News, American Forces Network, Soldiers Update, YouTube, Facebook, Soldiers Radio News, DoD Live, Soldiers Live and DVIDS, and can still be seen on numerous social media outlets.
During her career, McCabe earned the trust and confidence of DoD leadership as well as civilian and military members serving around the globe. Her comprehensive reports have provided insight on the strategic goals and challenges faced by the U.S. military around the world; from combat, logistics and humanitarian response, to counter-insurgency and peace-keeping.
Her award-winning productions have brought clearer understanding of many high-profile missions including Operation Desert Storm, Task Force 51 in Goma, Zaire, Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia, as well as extensive coverage of Partnership for Peace initiatives throughout Eastern Europe. She has brought context to the many diverse challenges faced by the U.S. military in complex operations in Kosovo, Africa, South and Central America, India, Vietnam and here in the United States. Most recently, her reports covered troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, Resolute Support, as well as numerous multinational missions and exercises in Africa, Asia and Europe.
McCabe is the Army's first civilian broadcast journalist to have been selected to participate in Training With Industry (TWI) with CNN and holds numerous Army, DoD and industry awards. She is an inductee into the Army Public Affairs Hall of Fame, a recipient of the Secretary of Defense's Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service, and a two-time recipient of the Defense of Freedom Award for injuries sustained covering combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Government Video Expo will take place Dec. 6–8, 2016, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Designed for video, broadcast and AV professionals, Government Video Expo features a full exhibit floor, numerous training options, free seminars, keynotes, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and a new educational series of panel discussions. Visit the website to learn more and register to attend.
