Patrick AFB selected as finalist, American Airman video contest

Staff Sgt. Aaron Burnley, 45th Civil Engineer Squadron, talks about the mission, fitness, recreation, and education at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, during the filming for the 2014 American Airman Video Contest July 31, 2014. The video was selected as a finalist to represent both Team Patrick-Cape, and Air Force Space Command. The public can vote by clicking “like” for their favorite video on the Air Force’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/AFBlueTube by Aug. 22 at 3 p.m. CDT will win. (U.S. Air Force/Multimedia)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

Patrick AFB selected as finalist, American Airman video contest

Published Aug. 18, 2014
By Heidi Hunt

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Staff Sgt. Aaron Burnley, 45th Civil Engineer Squadron and Master Sgt. Robert Mills, 45th Force Support Squadron, were selected to represent Air Force Space Command for the 2014 American Airman Video Contest.

"Master Sgt. Mills asked me to help him with a concept he had for the video," Burnley said. "We brainstormed and together, with multimedia, we chose to take the video in the direction of a 'We' approach verses an 'I' technique."

Initially, Mills was approached by Maj. Paul (Nate) Somers, 45th Force Support Squadron commander, about making a video to represent the 45th Space Wing. Mills thought it would be an excellent opportunity to get creative and show others what an outstanding team and mission we have here and combine humor into the video.

"We also incorporated several Airmen from Patrick Air Force Base into the video to highlight not only the Airmen but the things that makes serving here, in Florida, so unique," Mills said.

The contest launched July 1 for all total force Airmen to showcase their Air Force stories in short selfie videos.

"Every Airman has a story -- and smartphone technology now allows those Airmen to share those stories with a wider audience than ever before," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, said in a release at the start of the contest.

The finalist videos from Air Force major commands and agencies are now available for public voting on the Air Force's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/AFBlueTube. Voters can "like" their favorite videos, and the video with the most "likes" by Aug. 22 at 3 p.m. CDT wins.

The winning video will be featured in a special presentation by Welsh during the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition in September in Washington, D.C.

Senior Airman Kevin Larkins, also a finalist, is a seismic maintenance technician assigned to the Air Force Technical Applications Center, Detachment 421 in Alice Springs, Australia.

For more information about the contest, visit http://airforcelive.dodlive.mil/contest.

"Our Airmen are an amazing communication resource," Welsh said. "No one tells the Air Force story like they do."