An aircrew displays teamwork while firing 105 mm artillery from their gunship at night. Special operators freefall toward Earth at terminal velocity. Battlefield Airmen descend from hovering helicopters by rope, pilot small unmanned aerial vehicles and call for close air support.

The Air Force’s advertising agency -- Gurasich, Spense, Darilek & McClure -- taped these scenarios Feb. 14 and 15 for what could become one of the next round of recruiting commercials.

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. T. 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 every day here,” Daniel Russ, GSD&M senior vice president, told a gunship crew.

“We’re not using Hollywood actors like in the commercials you’ve seen already,” Mr. Russ said. “You 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 things Airmen are doing every day from their point of view.

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 H/U (Gunship), or standing on top of a Humvee while combat controllers called for fire from MH-53s,” said Capt. Tom Montgomery of Air Force Special Operations Command public affairs.

Doubling as a cameraman on an MH-53J/M Pave Low 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 producers, the focus of the commercials won’t be the technology or the weapons, but the Airmen performing the mission.

“These are things people like me would never see,” said GSD&M writer Christopher Staub fresh off the MH-53 mission.

One such shot was of special tactics operators performing 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, Mr. Keith said.

“Leaders wants the new commercials to be edgy and in your face,” Captain Montgomery said. “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.

(Courtesy of Air Force Special Operations Command News Service)