POGO Investigates Journalist Wins Top Prize at Military Reporters & Editors Journalism Awards 

Washington, D.C. — POGO Investigates, the nonprofit newsroom division of the Project On Government Oversight, is proud to announce that senior investigator René Kladzyk has been awarded the Joe Galloway Award, one of Military Reporters & Editors’ (MRE) highest honors, at the MRE 2026 journalism awards.

The MRE awards recognize outstanding reporting, photography, commentary and documentary storytelling on the U.S. military, national security, veterans, and the people affected by war. Kladzyk won the top prize for her March 2026 investigation, Inside the Fight for Safe Military Housing: Military Families Battle to Hold a Texas Housing Empire Accountable, which highlighted the mold, infestations, and other hazards military families endured in homes run by a real estate conglomerate under contract with the Pentagon. She spoke with numerous military families for the piece and found that, despite repeated reports of chronic problems, the real estate giant was largely able to evade accountability through a combination of legal maneuvers and political influence. The piece was created in collaboration with, and co-published by,The Texas Observer.

“I am deeply honored by this acknowledgment from Military Reporters & Editors,” said Kladzyk. “I hope our reporting will spur greater understanding of what so many military families around the country are experiencing as they fight for safe housing.”

”René’s reporting reveals the human cost of failures of government accountability with compassion and rigor,” said Brandon Brockmyer, head of POGO Investigates. “It exemplifies our mission to expose systemic corruption and abuse of power in and around the federal government. We’re thrilled to see her work receive this recognition from such esteemed peers.”

Named after UPI combat correspondent and McClatchy Newspaper columnist, Joe Galloway, this award is selected by independent contest judges from all contest entries.