BIOGRAPHIES
Cherie Thurlby, twice selected as Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld’s personal photographer, continues the job today with Secretary Robert Gates. Over her career, she was honored with being the 2001 NPPA Military Photographer of the Year as well as placing in multiple categories in the same competition in 2002, 2003, and 2004. She has also been the recipient of the Air Force Aerial Achievement Medal twice, the Joint Service Commendation Medal on two occasions, and the 2000 Airman Leadership School top graduate award. Numerous publications and media outlets both domestically and abroad have used her images including Newsweek, Time, NYTimes, Washington Post, MSNBC, ABC News, CBS News, International Herald Tribune, Moscow Chronicle, Arab World Photo, Japan Examiner among others. Her images have also been published in books such as "The Iraq War: A Military History, Weapons of the Modern Marines, and Terrorism: A Look at the Way the World is Today." She served back to back deployments in 2003 in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Cherie currently lives in Alexandria, VA with her fiancée who is also a photojournalist and who served with her at the 1st Combat Camera Squadron in Charleston AFB, S.C.
