Honors and Awards

Inside the Pentagon Managing Editor Justin Doubleday and Inside the Navy Managing Editor Lee Hudson have been lauded for their work by the Washington, DC, Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, each earning "Finalist" recognition in the Dateline Awards for 2017 Journalism.

Doubleday was a Finalist in the "Breaking News" category for his story about the Pentagon's plan to select one cloud services provider for the entire Defense Department.

Hudson was a Finalist in the "Beat Reporting" category for her coverage of the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter carrier variant.

Here is Justin Doubleday's story...

Industry concerned about Pentagon plan to 'lock in' one cloud services provider

Here are Lee Hudson's stories...

First place in the same category went to Jenny Leonard at Inside U.S. Trade, a sister publication.


Past Awards: 2014

Inside the Army Associate Editor Jen Judson won the National Press Club's 2014 Newsletter Journalism Award for her article that broke the news on the Army's plan to divest its Kiowa helicopters and instead use Apache helicopters that would be taken from the National Guard.

The judge called the story "valuable news for the newsletter's target audience."

The winning story:

Army Aviation Plan Would Divest Kiowas, Move Guard Apaches To Scout Role


Past Awards: 2012

The National Press Club has awarded its Newsletter Journalism Award to InsideDefense.com Editor-at-Large Christopher J. Castelli.

The judges said: "He won for his riveting series of exclusive stories on strategic administration discussions of U.S. policy on Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Pakistan. In the best traditions of journalism, and newsletter journalism in particular, Chris cultivated sources who repeatedly shared internal national security documents. His stories were picked up and his reporting credited by multiple national news outlets as his work informed greater public understanding of vital national defense issues."

The winning stories:


Past Awards: 2011

On July 11, 2011, the National Press Club announced Inside the Pentagon Chief Editor Christopher J. Castelli had been awarded the Michael A. Dornheim Award for reporting on the Defense Department's failure to put required cockpit voice recorders on V-22 Ospreys. His Dec. 23, 2010, scoop had a major impact: Congress pursued the matter and the military finally committed to funding the requirement. The impact is clear in the follow-up stories he published this year.

On June 14, 2011, the Washington, DC, chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded Inside the Pentagon Associate Editor Jordana Mishory third place in the Newsletter category for a series of stories she wrote in 2010 on the Defense Department's auditing problems:


Past Awards: 2010

The National Press Club has awarded its prize for newsletter journalism to Inside the Pentagon Chief Editor Christopher J. Castelli for his scoop on the Navy's decision to kill the multibillion-dollar CG(X) cruiser program and instead buy ships of an existing design. The story, first published in Inside the Navy in 2009, was part of a series that broke news about the draft version of the Navy's 30-year shipbuilding plan:


Past Awards: 2009

Inside the Army Managing Editor Marjorie Censer has been honored by the DC Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for a story on Army plans to strip billions of dollars from its legacy vehicle accounts to fund the Future Combat Systems program.

Marjorie was awarded first place in the Washington newsletter reporting category.

Here's the full story:

Funneling Resources To FCS, Army POM Strips Vehicle Program Funding


Past Awards: 2008

Inside the Pentagon chief editor Christopher J. Castelli has been honored by Society of Professional Journalists for three stories published in Inside the Navy in 2007.

The stories won first place in the Washington newsletter reporting category of the Society's SPJ Dateline awards.

Also, the National Press Club gave Chris Honorable Mention for its Newsletter Journalism Award, "Best Exclusive Story" category, for a story on the V-22 Osprey program published June 25, 2007, in the pages of Inside the Navy.

V-22 Parts Replaced Due To 'Serious Risk' Of 'Catastrophic' Mishaps


Past Awards: 2007

Inside the Pentagon Senior Correspondent Elaine Grossman has won three separate prizes for her Dec. 7, 2006, article, "U.S. Officers in Iraq: Insurgents are Repeatedly Captured And Released."

The three are as follows:

  • National Press Club 2007 Journalism Awards: 1st Place, Newsletter Journalism -- Best Analytical or Interpretive Reporting Piece.
  • Society of Professional Journalists, Washington DC Chapter, 2007 Dateline Awards: 1st place, Newsletters.
  • Specialized Information Publishers Foundation, 2007 Editorial and Marketing Awards: 1st place, Best Investigative Reporting.

Inside the Navy Chief Editor Chris Castelli has won honorable mention in the "Best Exclusive Story" category in the National Press Club's newsletter journalism contest. His winning story, "Poor Reliability Puts Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle in Jeopardy," was published Oct. 2, 2006.


Past Awards: 2006

The Society of Professional Journalists has awarded Elaine Grossman the top prize in its competition for "Best Coverage of a Washington-Based Story Online" in 2005.

Elaine's story, first published on InsideDefense.com on Nov. 17, 2005, describes a rift between top defense officials over U.S. military relations with China.

Riling Hawks, A Top U.S. Commander Seeks Fresh Military Tack On China

Second place in the same category went to InsideDefense.com's Jason Sherman for a series of stories on the Quadrennial Defense Review.

In a separate category -- "Newsletter - Washington Reporting" - the Society awarded second-place honors to Inside the Navy and its chief editor, Christopher Castelli, who wrote a series of stories on the war on terrorism, the challenge of manning the U.S. military with enough special operations troops, and the Pentagon's internal decisions about major weapons programs deemed either necessary or unnecessary for the fight.

First place in the same category went to Inside EPA, a sister publication.

Also this year, the Newsletter & Electronic Publishers Foundation awarded third place in the "Best Spot News or Exclusive Single News" category in 2005. Jason's story broke the news of major Pentagon spending cuts early in the year.

Pentagon Slashes $30 Billion From Major Navy, Air Force, Missile Defense Programs


Past Awards: 2005

The National Press Club has awarded its top prize for analytical or interpretive newsletter journalism to Elaine M. Grossman, senior correspondent for Inside the Pentagon.

The award honors a story from the March 18, 2004, issue: "Decision to Hasten Ground Attack Into Iraq Presented New Risks."

It's a lengthy, thorough look at the debate between air- and land-combat generals over how and when to start the war against Iraq in 2003, and it was based largely on reporting Elaine did during her six-week stint embedded with U.S. forces at Camp Doha, Kuwait.

InsideDefense.com has been honored by the Washington, DC, chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists with a second-place award for online Washington reporting. The article on retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark's controversial military record, published the day he announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination, was written by Inside the Pentagon Senior Correspondent Elaine M. Grossman.

For a series of four articles on presidential and military aviation, Inside the Navy won third place in the Newsletter - Washington Reporting category of the Dateline Awards, presented by the Washington, DC, chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The articles were written by Inside the Navy Chief Editor Christopher J. Castelli.

Inside the Navy has been honored by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for two articles by Chief Editor Christopher J. Castelli. Inside the Navy was the sole honoree in the "weeklies" category of SABEW's "Best in Business Breaking News" competition.


Past Awards: 2002

Inside the Pentagon took top honors in the 2002 Newsletter & Electronic Publishers Foundation's 23rd Newsletter Journalism Awards Competition. Senior Correspondent Elaine M. Grossman's story on the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, "U.S. Air Force Flies Combat Patrols Over Dozens Of American Cities," was awarded first place in the best spot-news or exclusive single-news category.

Also in 2002, Inside the Navy won honors from the National Press Club and NEPF for coverage of the V-22 Osprey program, authored by Chief Editor Christopher J. Castelli. The lead story in a series, "ALDRIDGE GIVES NOD TO PROCEED WITH V-22 PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS," won honorable mention in the National Press Club's "best exclusive story" newsletter journalism competition. The series won third place in NEPF's "best investigative reporting" category.

Inside the Pentagon also won honorable mention in the 2002 NEPF investigative reporting category for a feature-length story by Elaine M. Grossman, "Origins Of Greeneville Cruise: How Civilians Got A Ride On Sub."


Past Awards: 2001

Inside the Pentagon won first place in the best investigative reporting category of the 2001 NEPF awards for a story on the anthrax vaccine program.

In 2001, a Jan. 13, 2000 story from Inside the Pentagon, "Pre-Y2K Problems Undercut Operation Of U.S. Satellite Imagery Network," was awarded honorable mention by the National Press Club in its newsletter journalism competition.

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