I just came across this post at the military blog OPFOR posted by John. It appears to be a video created by, or more accurately, contracted by the 341s Operations Support Squadron, Malmstrom Air Force Base. The video lists the following:
-- A 341st OSS Production
-- In association with M2 Entertainment
-- In conjunction with Ones on Top Studios
I googled all three of these entities and could find no obvious websites for any of them. Obviously, the first is a Air Force squadron and the other two sound like entertainment companies.
This “production” consists of lead in graphics for the three groups above, then a short view of an emergency action message being received, followed by the rest of the video being (apparently) Northrop Grumman marketing video showing a Minuteman III ICBM flying through the sky and space then reentering for a water splashdown. Are you kidding me?? Did someone in the Air Force pay US government dollars to create a PR video in which over 90% of it is propaganda from a defense company? And by the way, by propaganda I simply mean marketing video. And pay for what? A high school or definitely college IT class could have done this for extra credit.
OK, to my DOD and Air Force readers: Please pass this post around to the maximum people you can and would somebody tell me:
- Did US government funds go to the creation of this video (I think I know the answer)
- How much?
- Who authorized and or paid for this?
Folks, in all sincerity, I believe someone should be relieved of command if this video costs anything more than about $3,000 and they should be relieved for fraud, waste, and abuse. Our country cannot afford to waste money like this and the Air Force, especially, needs to be completely clean. Remember this video scandal for the Air Force Thunderbirds? Let's minimize the video productions and maximize supporting the joint and combined team.
Cue the Jaws soundtrack: SAC is coming back…….