News United States Air Force
 We Are Airmen: 2018 Recruiting Video Contest winner announcedPublished Sept. 18, 2018
                        
                        By Staff Sgt. Chip Pons
                        
                        
                        Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
                **JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) --**
                More than 70 Airmen across the Air Force showcased their creativity and passion by scripting and producing their own recruiting video through the We Are Airmen 2018 Recruiting Video Contest. 
After reviewing submissions, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright have selected Senior Airman Lane McCall, an 86th Communications Squadron technician from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, as this year’s first-place winner. **When you first heard about the “We Are Airmen” 2018 Recruiting Video Contest, what made you want to get involved?**
I heard about the contest from a good friend of mine; he understands my passion for filmmaking and photography, and told me it would be crazy for me not to compete! After reading over the contest rules, I realized we were given full creative reign which got me really excited!**What was your planning process like? Did you have any inspiration?**
My planning process was fairly in-depth. Over the course of a week, I scripted out my dialogue with a quick blurb of video footage ideas I wanted to insert. My inspiration came from what I’ve already learned about this generation of Airmen; I feel like attention spans are decreasing and that today’s Airmen enjoy higher-paced, engaging content similar to the video submission I provided.**Based on your video, what is the target audience you are hoping to reach?**
The target audience is definitely geared toward males and females between 16-35 years of age. That seems very specific, but it makes more sense when you break it down by two different average age brackets. The 16-25-year-olds are typically working lower salary jobs, but seeking more solid career paths. They are also the most likely to be engaged on social media which is an added bonus for this type of video. The 26-35 age bracket are more likely to find interest in learning topics similar to health care, family integration and retirement benefits. With a maximum of 60 seconds, I squeezed as much information as possible into the video without it “dragging on” and hopefully the younger generation found it engaging.**As an Airman, what do you hope future recruits will take away from the submission that you created?**
My end goal with the creation of this video is for all future recruits to realize how expansive the Air Force actually is, and how many diverse career paths we have opportunity to pursue.**What attracted you to joining the Air Force?**
My main attraction to join the Air Force was the education benefits, specifically the Montgomery G.I. Bill. Having the opportunity to have my entire degree at a public school of my choosing paid for seemed too astonishing a benefit to pass on!**Based on what you have experienced as an Airman, what would you say to help encourage a potential recruit to join the Air Force?**
Future recruits need to understand how much the Air Force has shifted and how it continues to adapt to meet tomorrow’s demands. As mentioned in my video, potential recruits might only see what movies depict of the military. Noncommissioned officers don’t walk around shouting orders at Airmen like they might’ve done many years ago. Instead, we have fluid and efficient ways of making this colossal organization run and you will see this in action when you join.**How does it feel knowing that your video has been shown across the Air Force and watched by the Air Force Chief of Staff and the Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force?**
It’s surreal knowing that both Gen. Goldfein and Chief Master Sgt. Wright have watched my video. This contest has opened numerous doors and unleashed networking opportunities for me I never imagined. I’m extremely thankful to be a part of this awesome contest, and I still can’t fathom how neat it will be working on an actual production set to see this produced as an on-air Air Force recruiting commercial.
To view all of the finalist’s videos, click **here**.
********AETC 



Air Education and Training Command 



video 



Ramstein AB 



winner 



announcement 



contest 



86th Communications Squadron 



We Are Airmen 



recruiting