UTSA hosts photo exhibit at Downtown Campus

(June 28, 2004)--More than 60 unforgettable photographs of the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces are part of the "A Day in the Life of the United States Armed Forces" national tribute tour.

Open to the public and free of charge, the exhibit is at the UTSA Downtown Campus Durango Building gallery through Aug. 18. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday.

The top photo was taken in Keflavik, Iceland, 2002 by James Marshall. The lower photo of a stealth bomber was taken at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, 2002, by Karen Ballard.

"The Boeing Co. is pleased to give the American public a glimpse into the gallantry and grace that the men and women in the Armed Forces exhibit daily in routine and extraordinary ways," said Dennis Stuart, Boeing site leader in San Antonio. "The unselfish acts of these individuals are captured in this stirring exhibit."

The images were selected from more than 300 photographs featured in the book, "A Day in the Life of the United States Armed Forces," produced by EpiCom Media and published by HarperCollins Publishers. The Boeing Co. is the exclusive underwriter of both the book and the traveling photo tour, which is going to nearly two dozen military bases and numerous cities across the nation.

The photographs in the exhibit were captured over a single 24-hour period -- October 22, 2002 -- by 125 leading civilian and military photographers, who fanned out across the globe to capture an ordinary day in the lives of the men and women who protect America's freedom. The result is an extraordinary pictorial documentary that records the daily sacrifices, integrity and commitment of members of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

The photographs depict men and women in remote outposts and strategic bases; in the cockpit of fighter jets and on Trident submarines; patrolling borders, going about their daily routines and saying good-bye.

The show includes photographs taken at several locations in Texas, including Fort Bliss, the SERE school at Lackland Air Force Base and Coast Guard helicopter patrols over Houston. The exhibit also includes images by award-winning photographers from the San Antonio area, including Dirck Halstead of Time magazine, Don Winslow of the National Press Photographers Association, and military photographers Staff Sgt. Jeff Allen, Master Sgt. Lance Cheung and Tech. Sgt. Efrain Gonzales.

"The photos are a moving visual reminder of the routine and heroic operations, the courage and dedication that are required to defend America 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," said Matthew Naythons, president of EpiCom Media and co-producer of the project. "This tour celebrates the work of the brave men and women that serve our country everyday."

The Boeing Co. is the world's leading aerospace company, with its heritage mirroring the history of flight. It is the largest manufacturer of military aircraft, commercial jetliners, and satellites. The company is also a global market leader in missile defense, human space flight, and launch services. Chicago-based Boeing has an extensive global reach with customers in 145 countries. BASC-SA, established in 1998 at the site of the former San Antonio Air Logistics Center at Kelly Air Force Base, has grown rapidly in its five years of operation. It brings the full spectrum of innovative tools, systems and relationships to bear on mission readiness for wide-body, military aircraft. BASC-SA offers fast cycle time and affordable aircraft services and is one of the largest maintenance and modification centers in Boeing. Aircraft supported at the facility include the C-17, KC-135, KC-10, and beginning next year, the C-130.

For information on the UTSA Downtown gallery, call 210-458-2816 or visit the UTSA Downtown Campus Web site.

--Stephanie Mota