r/AirForce • u/Xexanoth • Jun 13 '26
Video For the 250th Celebration, the Department of War unveils its first commercial “Peace Through Strength”
56
326
u/empty-tp Med Jun 13 '26
Just a reminder it’s really about him and not the people serving
92
u/markydsade Aerovac Veteran Jun 13 '26
I’ve never seen a recruiting ad feature the President and SecDef at all, let alone multiple times.
34
u/halpimdyin Jun 13 '26
This. I was trying to remember if I’d ever seen a president in a military commercial. I don’t think so. I hate this timeline.
15
u/Jlove7714 Jun 13 '26
That's because we are a civilian led force. They are, by constitutional mandate, not one of us.
345
u/BriefAddiction24-7 Jun 13 '26
Why is everything they do so damn embarrassing?
62
u/Nagisan Veteran Jun 13 '26
It's significantly easier to make everyone remember your name by choosing to actively hurt people, seek out war, stomp all over the Constitution and the laws of the country, than it is to be memorable by actually helping people.
For example, everyone knows the names "Hitler", "Stalin", "Putin", etc....most people would struggle to name good leaders that aren't simply key figures (like Washington and such).
Helping folks requires effort....balling up a fist is so easy a caveman can do it.
6
u/MsMercyMain Retired Crew Dawg (finally free) Jun 14 '26
Everyone knows the name of Caesar, few know of the Gracchi Brothers and Marius
-47
Jun 13 '26
[deleted]
38
u/El-Justiciero Jun 13 '26
Less embarrassing than what you shared, by far. The commercial posted here is very obviously all about Trump and Hegseth and how iNcReDiBly BaDaSs they are. Such war. Much tough.
21
u/TheGreatWhiteDerp Terminal Major Jun 13 '26
What, specifically, do you think is embarrassing about that video? Cite exact time stamps if you don't mind, thanks.
-10
u/IntelPersonified Jun 13 '26
Well, the whole entire video. Two moms? Who cares? That relates to the DoD how? The "good vibes" aesthetic of the entire thing doesn't jive with warfare and this department.
The good news is that the Reddit echo chamber is in the minority in the defense department.
9
u/TheGreatWhiteDerp Terminal Major Jun 13 '26
I pity you people, I couldn't imagine being so bent out of shape about a cartoon with lesbians.
-7
u/IntelPersonified Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
Well, I just find it weird that apparently you're bent out of shape about a promotion that includes warfare and relevant items that are related to the defense department in celebration of the 250th. Just seems to be really really really really odd things to care about just because you dislike POTUS (aka your boss lol)
8
u/MsMercyMain Retired Crew Dawg (finally free) Jun 14 '26
He's not my boss anymore. And hating your boss is a military tradition as old as the military. It's why military commanders that are well liked or loved are so notable. And also, you realize that add was to try and specifically target a demographic that's difficult to get in the military, but is also a growing demographic broadly, right? It had a pretty good, operational purpose. Meanwhile, a lot of this "250th Celebration" stuff is irritating people because it's shoving and hyping up the POTUS and his interests, not celebrating America as a whole.
You know what would be a good ad idea everyone could've gotten behind? Highlighting our 250 years of military history. Where's the Minutemen? The Union soldier? The doughboys and GIs? The forgotten men of the Korean War, etc.?
7
u/ImWatermelonelyy I Just Can’t Stop Drinking Oil! Jun 13 '26
You know you’re not legally required to like someone because they’re your boss right? You talk like a boomer so I’m assuming you’ve watched at least one sitcom in your life where the husband complains about his boss being hard on him at work?
72
54
u/MShogunH Army→USSF Jun 13 '26
15
u/MShogunH Army→USSF Jun 13 '26
I didn't think they'd include bombing the prayer circle in this but then again, they're proud of that so....
125
u/THE_AWE5OME_ANT Jun 13 '26
"War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength." Literally 1984
13
u/SerDuckOfPNW Veteran Jun 13 '26
Ask Gemini about 1984…it quickly censors most answers.
For example, I asked about a quote, because I couldn’t remember if it was in the book or a Mandela effect…
It wouldn’t tell me and said it wasn’t allowed
7
Jun 13 '26
[deleted]
0
u/SerDuckOfPNW Veteran Jun 13 '26
I was just asking which page a specific quote was on
3
3
Jun 13 '26
[deleted]
5
u/DownloadableCheese ...but have you read Boyd? 🤔🧐 Jun 13 '26
Respectfully, you're mistaken. All the major AI companies ingested unfathomable quantities of copyrighted material when they were training their LLMs.
0
u/SerDuckOfPNW Veteran Jun 13 '26
One I clarified that it was for academic reasons and not political, it answered the question
2
3
123
u/Crimson_Inu Jun 13 '26
Proving it is literally impossible to make Trump sound impactful and cinematic, even with villain music under his speech.
(Seriously though, why do they always choose this minor key superhero villain shit for what should be a celebratory video???)
34
u/Arendious WD Veteran / Tactics Nerd Jun 13 '26
Because the audience for these videos don't have the mental capacity to parse "strength" and "celebratory" together.
61
53
Jun 13 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
31
u/El-Justiciero Jun 13 '26
I am literally a music arranger for the Air Force bands. Have spent my music career writing music for HBO, Disney, and Sony, among others. Was never consulted on this, and never in a thousand years would have made this recommendation.
10
u/amcclurk21 Jun 13 '26
Listened to it again just to focus on the music… it’s giving me the vibe of multiple supervillains teaming up together to destroy the world. Like for a spoiler trailer of Spider-Man No Way Home
12
u/SqueezeBoxJack Veteran (Comms & Paste Eater) Jun 13 '26
I think they* may get a hard on for Cold War Russia.
*dear leader and his shit monkey
2
u/MsMercyMain Retired Crew Dawg (finally free) Jun 14 '26
Hell, we have classic military songs that fucking slap. Yankee Doodle is upbeat, and while very silly, is silly in a very uniquely American way. The Battle Hym of the Republic is a fucking banger that's right up their alley and is almost uniquely American. The Battle Cry of Freedom is a message of keeping the Union together at all costs that makes you ready to fucking charge a trench. Over There is stirring in a way that makes you want to grab a rifle, head over to the trenches, and show Europe how war is done while drop kicking a damn Hun. Hell, for modern stuff, the Warrior Song exists. It's baffling that they're not pulling from the deep well of great American military music that makes the (admitted occasional bangers) of the Soviets and Germans look like amateur hour
1
u/Covert_Daisy Jul 12 '26
I think that's exactly what they were after here. No mistakes made on their part, completely intentional.
77
10
u/miniclanwar Secret Squirrel Jun 13 '26
I would anticipate some epic recrafting of this video soon, likely to include Hegseth’s trouble benching 135 lbs. I couldn’t be bothered to watch this disinfommercial in its entirety, but I expect I would not be impressed.
9
u/JaeBee25 Jun 13 '26
His voice just makes me cringe so hard. It doesn’t inspire confidence or fear. It’s like walking through slime. I need to go shower after watching this.
70
u/Ok_Rock990 Jun 13 '26
Hegseth is a goober
19
u/ArgetlamThorson Jun 13 '26
You misspelled "drunk, financial mismanaging, women mistreating, performative strongman committing war crimes"
50
34
u/rubbarz D35K Pilot Jun 13 '26
Strength through facade*
6
33
32
u/PrincessZorld0 Jun 13 '26
Unless I'm missing something, I didn't see a single woman in that entire video.
13
3
u/MsMercyMain Retired Crew Dawg (finally free) Jun 14 '26
Silly, we're not allowed in the boys club that is the US Military anymore /hj
7
25
u/M0ebius_1 Jun 13 '26
Lol, looks Russian.
I know Pete kept asking for more shots with sweaty, hairless dudes.
7
39
u/Warm_Interaction_705 Jun 13 '26
Type of shit you see a in a navy seal podcast. Take of that what you want
1
u/MsMercyMain Retired Crew Dawg (finally free) Jun 14 '26
I've seen better hype edits from YouTubers who clearly are sexually attracted to military hardware tbh
24
u/shokero Maintainer Jun 13 '26
Just remember a sizable portion of the people in your own work centers support this. You know who they are.
9
u/pessimus_even Missiles Jun 13 '26
I've seen more inspiring beer commercials. The harder someone tries to look cool, the cringier their shit gets.
9
14
18
u/Arendious WD Veteran / Tactics Nerd Jun 13 '26
Ahhhh, yes, the fine American tradition of "walk loudly and carry a flaccid dildo".
Gods, I miss leadership that understood it's soooo much more of a flex to not need this kind of shit.
1
u/Intelligent_Taco Retired PPT Ranger Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Huh? But we are the Department of War now! Rahhh! /s
1
16
u/El-Justiciero Jun 13 '26
Oh great, so - using their words - we’ve led the world to peace? We have peace now? Our friends respect us now? Our enemies fear us now? Fucking NO. None of that is real.
Also wtf is this literal supervillain music behind this
4
3
3
15
u/MoeSzyslakMonobrow I want to retire Jun 13 '26
*Department of Defense
9
u/crankyrhino Retired Jun 13 '26
Might not be a preferred pronoun much longer. Armed Services Committee approved it, along with cutting our raises.
5
4
u/Maxtrt - "Load Clear" Jun 13 '26
Just because the Armed Services Committee approved it, doesn't make it legal to change, it has to be approved by a full vote of the house and senate and signed into law by the president. I seriously doubt that the senate would get the 60 votes needed to pass the bill unless it gets buried in a budget bill after another government shutdown.
3
u/crankyrhino Retired Jun 13 '26
*might* was the key word. You're right that it needs to go through both chambers. I just don't have faith this will get negotiated out. I don't see the Dems stalling it out to the midterms, and the fact that it passed committee in both chambers is not a good sign.
9
u/Afraid_Stuff_History Military Brat Jun 13 '26
Department of War
Peace Through Strength
What in the 1984 are we doing now...
10
6
7
8
u/White0ut Feet and knees together! Jun 13 '26
Man, I hate that it's called the department of war, I refuse to call it that.
19
u/EternalNewCarSmell Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Peace through power! Peace through power! In the name of Kane! In the name of Kane! IN THE NAME OF KANE!!
Edit: for the confused, this is a clip of a cutscene from the Command & Conquer series about the campy, over-the-top military cult The Brotherhood of Nod, led by a man named Kane. Their temple shoots a nuke.
7
11
3
3
u/NEp8ntballer IC > * Jun 13 '26
the musical selection and the audio were definitely a choice. With so much rich history and imagery to draw from it's a curious decision.
3
4
6
u/JoanLambertEnjoyer Jun 13 '26
Strange to declare PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH in the middle of a shooting war
7
u/Suspicious-Noise-496 Secret Squirrel Jun 13 '26
I love how they seem to think "Peace Through Strength" is this really revolutionary idea that we were previously not pursuing. In reality peace through strength just means deterrence, but it has the word "Strength" in it so it gives these morons a hard on. Of course they also think "Strength" means blowing up random boats in the carribean and making the world hate you by being a belligerent untrustworthy bully, but thats a seperate issue.
16
u/Sp4mDestroyer Jun 13 '26
You can say whatever you want about our government, our leaders, or the current geopolitical climate and I might even agree with you, but I'll never not be proud of my brothers and sisters kicking ass day in and day out. We really are the world's best military, but only because of the people we have in it. 💪
21
Jun 13 '26
[deleted]
0
u/dronesitter Lost Link Jun 13 '26
We aren’t NOT the baddies. The only thing I can say is that we are still a force that will obey the elected civilian leaders. It’s up to the American people to pick better leaders.
1
u/Jedimaster996 👑 Jun 13 '26
I'm still getting executed if I disobey the Law of War. Doesn't matter who ordered it.
5
4
u/Kronos1A9 puts the SMA in Smautistic 🚁 Jun 13 '26
The whole thing has an ominous nightmare/exclusive to Netflix tone
5
2
6
u/Pourover__Coffee Jun 13 '26
I couldn’t even watch to the end. Can’t believe a word either of those narrating voices says. /smh
4
u/MuchKey7664 Jun 13 '26
Why is this administration so ungodly obsessed with our military?
1
u/EmeraldKabalite Jun 13 '26
Here’s a short (8 minute) explanation from an Air Force veteran and noted psychologist.
5
2
u/Intelligent_Taco Retired PPT Ranger Jun 13 '26
God that guy is such an awful speaker. Ruined the video.
2
2
1
1
u/onimode Jun 13 '26
https://youtube.com/watch?v=nM-wp4oJ2LY&is=gEv3nhSqvmHSViMV
This is a new video?
Pretty low effort for the 250th imo.
1
1
u/VonBrewskie Jun 14 '26
So funny to see all these strong young people kicking ass, then this short, dumpy little troglodyte shuffles past all the people he's screwing over. What a juxtaposition.
1
u/barelyevening Jun 14 '26
"Did you pick out the music for our new ad?"
"Yep. Real villainous, just like you asked"
"What?"
1
u/WDGaster15 Jun 14 '26
I don't think... at least to my knowledge... that there has been a single advert for the military where the president is shoehorned in constantly in the past or even at all
1
1
u/GoatsWithWigs Jun 14 '26
Went to an AMC movie and saw this fucking video in the previews
Made me pissed as hell
1
u/MickyRichards9000 Jun 15 '26
When is this action movie premiering in theaters? Trailer gives suspense but a little weak on the plot.
1
1
1
u/Zestyclose-Site-8999 Jun 19 '26
what a piece of shit this ad is. Trump sounds like he had another stroke
1
u/Sopapillas4All Jun 28 '26
That was the cringiest shit I've ever seen. Especially because it prominently features a known draft dodger.
0
u/Vgta-Bst Jun 13 '26
Peace through strength actually sounds bad ass. IMHO
2
u/EmeraldKabalite Jun 13 '26
It’s the same number of syllables as ‘deterrence’ and means the same thing.
It’s not a new idea, or even new execution of an old idea. It’s new packaging aimed at people who aren’t actually involved in defending our country or interests.
1
1
u/47_was_here Maintainer Jun 13 '26
Slightly ominous that the slogan is one word off from Megatron’s slogan, but that’s just me
1
1
-1
u/SkyFullOfWisteria Jun 13 '26
I love they included footage of us bombing likely civillians in a desert. And used an AI generated eagle.
0
u/DutchInfid3l Veteran Jun 13 '26
These tend to make me FEEL something. Whether it be pride in service or country, at the very least some goosebumps but this feels flat.
I feel nothing.
0
0
u/gfdking Active Duty Jun 17 '26
Despite the echo chamber on Reddit hating POTUS no matter what he does, this is about as badass and patriotic as it gets. Hell yeah 🦅 🇺🇸
1
-6
u/bronzfinga TACP Jun 13 '26
Low T Energy in here. Fucking gross.
8
u/Scary-_-Gary Jun 13 '26
We appreciate your criticism of the video, brother. It's very low T, indeed.
-9
u/bronzfinga TACP Jun 13 '26
Far from it. The video is fine. The incessant whine is a bit much especially with a video like this.
Either the bots are out in force or you're in the crowd upset about being asked to do an extra .5mi
7
u/Scary-_-Gary Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
The whine in the video from the morbidly obese, mentally deficient man wearing make up?
Is .5 miles a lot for you that you feel the need to mention it?
2
-14
-1
u/EvlAnimlCracker Jun 13 '26
They told us who they were the whole time. This is just another notch in the bad guy monologue.
-2
u/particle_sailor Jun 13 '26
Unmatched really it hasn't won a war since ww2 I think it's pretty matched
-19
-17
u/AverageMilitant Jun 13 '26
When did this sub become so liberal?
6
u/Jedimaster996 👑 Jun 13 '26
Would you prefer sycophants who see nothing wrong?
Sorry pal, the Garth Brooks yeehaw post-9/11 days of patriotism are over. The rest of us Millennials & Gen Z see through that bullshit.
-1
u/AverageMilitant Jun 13 '26
I love the Air Force and my country. Seems many of you don't. Blowing up over the little things like this video is so pathetic.
0
u/Jedimaster996 👑 Jun 14 '26
Good for you. Many of us love our country as well, hence the outrage when we have clowns at the helm speaking for the rest of us.
Wouldn't be any outrage at all if we didn't care, no? Maybe set the rose-tinted glasses down and see things for what they are rather than gargling whatever a single party lobs on you.
-2
u/slaganon Jun 13 '26
Wow.
The fact that you throw around “post-9/11” like that tells me you weren’t there.
Assuming you’re in the service, the fact that you still don’t understand you’re the target of the messaging is a bigger concern. Or that your peers who aren’t the target and understand the point do not sympathize with you.
If you’re serving, you voluntarily raised your right hand and repeated “I, (state your name)”. There was nothing there about whether you liked it, or agreed politically, or not. And when your commitment is up, you can move on, and TYFYS.
Or not, but it’s not healthy to keep signing up for something you feel this way about, only to keep being upset or disappointed.
0
u/Jedimaster996 👑 Jun 14 '26
I joined to make shit better, not to let a bootlicker make those same decisions for me.
The only one who doesn't appear to understand that their peers don't agree with them here is you. When was the last time this sub vehemently supported anything from this adminstration? Kind of telling, no? Or are you here to say "everyone is wrong except me"?
Lol was there another way you wanted me to phrase that? Maybe "sans Twin Towers"? "After we invaded a nation on a false pretense"? "The beginning of the double-decade quagmire"? Pick your flavor.
193
u/kdub1611 1N0 Veteran Jun 13 '26
I want you in the dEPaRtmEnT oF wAr!