Guard Units Team Up in Peoria to Create Commercial: National Ad Focuses on Maintenance Career Field

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Zachary Morgason
  • 182nd Airlift Wing
PEORIA, Ill. (9/12/12) --  On Wednesday, September 26, 2012 the "creative" element of Air National Guard's recruiting team, known as ANG Creative, began filming for an Air National Guard commercial in the aircraft hangar at the 182nd Airlift Wing in Peoria, Ill. The advertisement is being created to highlight the complex duties and responsibilities of maintenance career fields and features military members from across the country. Upon completion, it will be made available as a recruiting tool to Air Guard bases nationwide.

The commercial showcases military personnel working on a wide variety of aircraft including a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 126th Air Refueling Wing located at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.; an F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 114th Fighter Wing in Sioux Falls, S.D.; an A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne, Ind.; and a C-130 Hercules from the 182nd Airlift Wing.

"From towing airplanes, to moving equipment around, our members have put in a lot of work," said Colonel Barton Welker, the 182nd Maintenance Group Commander, and he also congratulated the maintenance troops, saying that it was their dedication to excellence and "willingness to take on the extra work to house the extra airframes" that made Peoria and the 182nd Airlift Wing a perfect place to film the commercial.

The focus of the advertisement is to underscore the importance and intricacy of aircraft maintenance and to spark an interest in viewers interested in the career field. It will also highlight the elite force maintaining the airframes of the Air National Guard are comprised of people who primarily work in the civilian sector, re-enforcing the part-time nature of careers in the Guard.

"Without quality aircraft maintenance recruits," said Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Hendrix, the 182nd Maintenance Squadron Commander, "the mission simply cannot and will not get done. This commercial should be able to attract a lot of new recruits to the field, and hopefully that's exactly what it will do. Maintenance is vital to the success of the Guard."

The filming took place over three days, and the process was an opportunity for the members participating in its filming to learn about and support the maintenance career field. Its creation is also a chance for them to experience the behind-the-scenes process of filming a national ad.

"The work that goes into every shot from the set-up to the breakdown takes a while," said Staff Sergeant Christopher Goett who appeared in the commercial. "It's been quite an experience with long days. I look forward to seeing the finished product."

Like every mission in the Air National Guard, this is one which demanded a great deal of dedication and work from those who volunteered their free time to help make the best possible product. Each participant spent nearly twelve hours each day getting made up, set up, and filming each detail to complete the shot.

"Our members have performed magnificently," said Col. Welker. "Everyone has been very excited to be a part of this process."

In addition to the personnel from the 182nd, members from the 131st Bomb Wing, the 105th Airlift Wing, the 113th Wing, the 169th Fighter Wing, the 199th Fighter Squadron, 146th Airlift Wing, and 183rd Fighter Wing also participated in filming the advertisement.