The Army Public Affairs Association is proud to announce retired Lt. Col. Robert Kramer has been named the 2025 recipient of the first ever Col. Errol K. 'Buck' Honaker Visual Information Leadership Award.
The Col. Errol K. 'Buck' Honaker Visual Information Leadership Award was created to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves with outstanding service as a visual information leader over a minimum of 10 years in the Army visual information career field. The Honaker Award recipient will have made indelible, enduring, and impactful contributions to the VI career field, mission and community of practice for the Army and in some cases the Department of Defense. The Honaker Award, established in 2024, ensures the lasting contributions of exceptional professionals in visual information are honored by the Army Public Affairs Association for their enduring impact on the Army and the nation it serves.
“We are so honored to recognize Bob Kramer as our first Honaker Award recipient," Army Public Affairs Association President Rebecca Wriggle said. “Lt. Col. Kramer's selfless and dedicated service over many years, his excellence as a visual information leader, and his many exceptional accomplishments are truly in keeping with spirit and intent of this newest of our annual awards. Our entire community can be justifiably proud to see Bob Kramer named as our first Honaker Award recipient."
Kramer's journey began as an active-duty Army officer where he served as a broadcast officer in Japan and later in Germany. He also served more than 25 years as a public affairs officer across the Army to include at Headquarters, Department of the Army, Office of the Chief Public Affairs, U.S. Army VII Corps, and U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany.
Kramer's experience is not just governmental. His extensive firsthand private sector experience in broadcasting includes radio station ownership of WZZT-FM Johnstown-Columbus, Ohio; founder of a radio station computer software company; corporate vice president for a Michigan radio station and partnership; and regional sales manager for Metro Networks. This experience made him the right choice to take on the mission of informing and entertaining the American military audience in Germany.
Kramer assumed critical roles at the American Forces Network in Europe as Station Manager for both AFN Munich and AFN Frankfurt. He revitalized the broadcast operations, forging and inspiring teams of young Army and Air Force broadcasters along with local talent. His leadership not only informed and entertained thousands of Soldiers, civilians, and families but also set new standards. His team members went onto be leaders in Army broadcasting and public affairs.
At the onset of hostilities of the Gulf War, Bob’s steady hand was indispensable. Serving as a desk officer in the U.S. European Command Public Affairs Office, he became the reliable voice amid chaos. He fielded inquiries from international and U.S. press agencies with clarity and precision, ensuring that the deployed units—from the VII Jayhawk Corps to the storied armored and infantry divisions from across the Army--had their stories told accurately to the world.
Later, as the Garrison Public Affairs Officer at Fort Sam Houston, Kramer tackled challenges that spanned far beyond traditional military duties. One standout moment was orchestrating the press conference for Shaquille O’Neal’s NBA announcement—a task that merged the rigors of military tradition with the fast-paced demands of modern media. Kramer meticulously prepared the young athlete and the Army family to face a torrent of media attention, ensuring the event resonated with both Army values and national pride.
Kramer's narrative took a dramatic turn when he accepted the formidable challenge of operations officer and program director for the AFN Southern Command Network in Panama. He led, trained, and mentored a dynamic team of over 45 Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines, and civilian personnel while instituting innovative training programs that elevated overall performance. By upgrading technologies and work processes, Kramer positioned the unit to win over 30% of all Army media awards worldwide in 1996—a record unmatched by any unit in the previous decade. Additionally, he spearheaded a significant expansion in production and services through the integration of automation, the restructuring of processes, and comprehensive quality improvements. All were achieved during a period marked by strategic drawdowns and organizational shifts.
Kramer helmed the 24-hour television and radio network, guaranteeing uninterrupted, high-quality broadcasts during the transition. When tragedy struck with the untimely loss of the SCN Commander, Kramer's leadership became even more critical, as he seamlessly guided the network and rallied his team through uncertainty—earning praise that echoed throughout the Army.
Following the closure of U.S. facilities in Panama, Kramer's talents led him to Kaiserslautern, Germany, where he was given a daunting 90-day mandate to reinvent the Visual Information Services Europe organization. He demonstrated an innate ability to identify and harness talent, turning struggling operations into award-winning powerhouses. His work in Europe not only improved operational efficiencies but also set benchmarks for broadcast excellence, earning multiple Department of Defense and industry accolades, including prestigious Telly Awards.
Following 9/11, as U.S. forces engaged in Afghanistan and Iraq, Kramer ensured that his teams were meticulously prepared to support commanders and deliver real-time, critical updates. His initiatives provided multiple live feeds to both the international and U.S. press corps at press conferences addressing the realities of modern warfare, while concurrently sending teams to Grafenwoehr and Hoehenfels to support the training of units preparing to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Kramer spearheaded the Enterprise team in close collaboration with training officers at the Joint Multinational Training Center in Grafenwoehr, Germany. Under his visionary leadership, they developed state-of-the-art, photo-realistic targetry solutions that empowered Soldiers to instantly and accurately distinguish between "shoot" and "no-shoot" scenarios, dramatically enhancing decision-making capabilities and operational readiness. The Visual Information Directorate Europe had the largest inventory of targetry products and in an effort to help Army Soldiers train worldwide, Visual Information Services Europe shared those products with the other Army Enterprise Multimedia Centers in the United States. This proactive collaboration ensured that Soldiers had access to the most advanced training materials, enhancing their readiness for real-world operations.
Beyond his directorial roles, Bob’s innovative spirit led him to develop advanced product metrics and a project/time accounting system, serving as the precursor to the Army’s Visual Information Ordering System (VIOS). This groundbreaking system—in use to this day—empowered leadership with detailed cost and efficiency analyses, underscoring the value of leveraging in-house expertise over external contracting and provide commanders with critical data allowing them to make informed data driven decisions.
Culminating his career as the Chief of Navy Production at the Defense Media Activity, Kramer once again applied his unique blend of experience and insight to perfect the art of storytelling for the Navy.
Throughout his career, Kramer never lost sight of his ultimate mission: ensuring that Soldiers were equipped with the state-of-the-art communications and media tools necessary to prepare for and prevail in conflict. He is a lifetime member of the Army Public Affairs Association and holder of the prestigious Ancient Order of St. Gabriel medal awarded for his visionary leadership, innovative strategies, and unwavering dedication that have left an indelible mark on military public affairs and visual information communities.
For future generations of military and civilian professionals, Kramer is recognized as a beacon of transformative leadership—a true embodiment of relentless commitment to the nation’s defense and the advancement of Army communications.
"Bob has given his lifetime in selfless service to our public affairs and visual information community, our Army and our nation," Wriggle said. "He is one of the very finest professionals among us by any measure and the most wonderful first recipient of our new Honaker Award for Visual Information Leadership. On behalf of our entire Board of Directors and the membership of the association, we could not be more thrilled to recognize him and to offer our most heartfelt congratulations!"
Kramer will receive the award at the association's annual awards reception Oct. 14th in Crystal City, Arlington, Va.