BALTIMORE - Air National Guard members here got to preview an upcoming country music video Sept. 22 that features singer Laura Bryna and her band in performance with several Airmen and units.
Officials said the music video "Hometown Heroes" will be a new element to the Air Guard's recruiting campaign messages through Web postings and other advertising outlets in conjunction with Bryna's commercial release of the song.
Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, director of the Air Guard, introduced the director's cut of the unreleased music video at the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) conference here at the Baltimore Convention Center.
He then called Bryna to the stage to speak with the more than 100 Air Guard members in attendance.
"That was really great to see that in front of all of you," said Bryna, a Maryland native. "It really touched my heart."
Last May, Air Guard officials announced a partnership with Bryna as a new spokesperson for the Air Guard advertising campaign. Since that time, she has toured several bases in conjunction with making the music video and her summer music concerts.
The video shows Bryna and her band performing the Hometown Heroes single atop an Air Guard C-130 Hercules among other interjected shots of Airmen and their equipment, high school students at football game and other segments.
Officials said that Byrna will continue to promote the Air Guard through radio, television, print advertising and the Web.
"I can't tell you how proud and how honored I am to be able to represent all you heroes and everything that you do," she told the NGAUS conferees.
Conferees also viewed the Army Guard's music video "Citizen-Soldier" released by the popular rock band "Three Doors Down."
McKinley said he showed the Army Guard's music video first as a successful example of Guard recruiting efforts. This fall, the Army Guard will release its new music video and song "Warrior," which partners Army recruiters with Kid Rock and Dale Earnhardt Jr.