Advertising team spotlights special ops Published Feb. 24, 2006 By AFSOC News Service HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- An aircrew displaying teamwork while firing 105mm artillery from their gunship at night and in the weather; Special operators freefalling toward Earth at terminal velocity; Battlefield Airmen descending from hovering helicopters by rope, piloting small unmanned aerial vehicles, and calling for close air support. The Air Force’s advertising agency, Gurasich, Spense, Darilek & McClure, taped these scenarios here for what could become one of the next round of television recruiting commercials Feb 14-15. GSD&M, the agency responsible for producing the “We’ve been waiting for you” and “Cross into the blue” ads, was given a new direction by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley. “Your boss, the chief of staff, told us he doesn’t want a slick Hollywood production, but an honest and personal peek into the amazing world of action that goes on everyday here,” said Mr. Daniel Russ, GSD&M senior vice president to a gunship crew. “We’re not using Hollywood actors like in the commercials you’ve seen already,” said Mr. Russ. “You (Airmen) are starring in your own commercial this time.” The new ad campaign, titled “Do something amazing” aims to be an up close look at the amazing things Airmen are doing everyday from the point of view of the Airmen. Armed with little more than small handheld digital video recorders, the team followed operators from the 720th Special Tactics Group and flew with the 4th, 15th and 20th Special Operations Squadrons. “The production crew was very professional; always ready to go and getting the right shots in difficult locations such as the gun deck of an AC-130, or standing on top of a HMMWV while combat controllers called for fire from MH-53s,” said Capt. Tom Montgomery, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs. Doubling as a cameraman on an MH-53 flight, Sean Keith, a GSD&M art director, captured tail gunner Tech. Sgt. Linwood Stull repairing a gun malfunction while the helicopter was pitching and banking during flight. Mr. Keith then turned the lens on special tactics operators fast-roping from the hovering craft. “Awesome, but I nearly got sick,” Mr. Keith said. According to GSD&M producers, the focus of the commercials won’t be the technology or the weapons, but the men and women performing the mission. “These are things people, like me, would never see,” said GSD&M writer Christopher Staub fresh off the MH-53 mission. Special tactics operators performed a high-altitude low-opening freefall parachute jump from an MC-130 captured by a camera mounted on an operator’s helmet. The kids aren’t buying the glitzy Hollywood ads, said Mr. Keith. “Leadership wants the new commercials to be edgy and in your face,” said Capt. Montgomery. “Air commandos have really exciting jobs, and there was action happening literally inches from the camera lens.” Broadcast of these new ads is expected in the fall with associated Web videos featuring longer-length versions of the 15 or 30-second TV commercials.