Originally from Philadelphia, Chris Okula enlisted in the U.S. Navy in early 2003. He earned certification as a Navy Journalist at the Defense Information School in Ft. Meade, MD, where he was trained in news writing, photography, and broadcast journalism. Upon graduation, he was awarded top honors for his distinguished work in radio and television production.



While in the military, he demonstrated an aptitude for feature writing, and deployed aboard naval vessels to gather, prepare and release material for publication. Okula later transferred to an American Forces Network (AFN) affiliate in Italy. While at AFN, he produced material for TV and radio, maintained the station website, conducted media traffic, and worked as an on-air personality, anchoring radio shows and TV newscasts. Okula subsequently transferred to Navy Public Affairs Support Element in San Diego, where he specialized in electronic news gathering, field production, and video editing.

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After his honorable discharge in 2009, Okula attended the Brooks Institute of Photography, from which he graduated in 2012 with a B.F.A. in Film and Video Production.

He has recently worked as a flight test photographer on Edwards Air Force Base in California, where he routinely documented in-flight tests of new weapons systems and airframes from the backseat of an F-16. Currently, Okula is a scientific and technical photographer for the 2d Range Operations Squadron on Vandenberg Space Force Base, where he assists with visual documentation of space vehicles, cargo, and weapon delivery systems.