Led by Sam Eckholm, a former U.S. Air Force officer and Air Force Academy graduate, SE Media partnered with the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force to produce a nine-episode, long-form documentary series designed to reach a digital-native generation on YouTube. This was the largest attempt ever made by the USAF and USSF to tell their story through the eyes of a creator.
Both services were facing a generational shift with Gen Z and Millennial audiences. Traditional recruiting and brand advertising strategies were becoming less effective, especially for a generation raised on social media & creator-led content.
Simply put, this series had an overarching goal of giving a voice to America’s 2.8 million service members in a world that often misunderstands them. Our team sought to identify some of the most challenging stories that no one had attempted recording, and share them for the first time online.
The Air Force and Space Force entrusted Sam as the creative partner, opening operational environments rarely accessible to civilians and allowing the story itself to carry the message. The goal was to humanize complex missions, showcase innovation and service with integrity, and meet audiences where discovery actually happens: long-form digital video.
Ultimately, the series aimed to prove that creator partnerships could redefine how the Air and Space Force shares its story, without sacrificing mission integrity. This first-of-its-kind partnership established a new blueprint for how the voices of service members resonate with digital native audiences.
SE Media led the concept development, filming, editing, and narrative strategy for a nine-episode Air Force and Space Force documentary series optimized for YouTube.
Unlike traditional influencer or brand campaigns, this partnership embedded Sam Eckholm and a small, highly mobile production team directly inside operational units. The Air Force and Space Force trusted Sam’s editorial voice, audience relationship, and cinematic approach to drive engagement.
Execution required operating within aircraft, secure facilities, and sensitive training environments under strict operational and security constraints. Many of the topics covered in this series had never experienced a camera crew on-site. From active nuclear missile silos to the operations command floor of a Space Force rocket launch, the SE Media team carefully navigated regulatory and security hurdles to tell a series of human-focused stories like never before. One tangible example? Transporting a nuclear missile down a highway. With Sam strapped into the side of a Huey Helicopter, our film crew had to carefully select angles that did not include two sets of top-secret vehicles protecting either side of the missile convoy. Just one mistake could've resulted in an entire narrative being scrubbed or the production being shut down. This isn't occasional fieldwork, it's an everyday shooting environment for SE Media.
The project included first-ever creator-led filming with the U.S. Space Force, and opened doors rarely seen by the public, including:
What makes this work unique is Sam's unique hosting style. Even though he was a former Air Force Officer, Sam never acts like the subject matter expert, or frankly someone that's capable of performing the missions himself. Service members get the spotlight, and their experience/professionalism anchors the narrative. When you watch the F-16 pilot pulling 9Gs over and over as if they're driving to work, unsustainable for most humans, the camera pans back to Sam who's fighting for his life in the back seat. Moments like these allow the audience to grasp the immense skill required to perform each mission.
This is done with purpose, to humanize the storyline and bring audiences into a world they may never experience.
Once each story had been filmed and edited, a careful review process was accomplished with the Air Force and Space Force to ensure accuracy and that all security concerns had been addressed. This attention to detail allows our team repeated access into the world's most secret missions.
From the viewer’s perspective, this series with the Air and Space Force was immersive, precise, mission-focused, and most importantly, human. With over 60 million views and 3.1 million hours watched, this 9-episode partnership has permanently changed the USAF/USSF's digital legacy. The mission Sam started while in uniform continues today; opening doors, sparking curiosity, and giving viewers a rare look inside the extraordinary worlds most people never get to see.
The nine-episode series exceeded its objectives across reach, trust, and cultural impact, proving the effectiveness of credibility-driven creator partnerships at scale.
Over the course of the partnership, the series generated:
Beyond performance metrics, the impact was qualitative and lasting. Thousands of organic viewer comments reflected civilians gaining a clearer understanding of military missions, veterans expressing that they felt accurately represented, and prospective service members actively considering military careers as a result of the series.
The films were released during a period when the Air Force and Space Force publicly reported exceeding recruiting goals and achieving record enlistment numbers, reinforcing the series’ relevance during a critical communications moment.
Institutionally, the success of the partnership reshaped how military organizations view creator collaboration, demonstrating that creator-led, long-form storytelling can be trusted to deliver results without compromising mission integrity.
Following the series, Sam Eckholm was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 for redefining how aerospace, defense, and military organizations collaborate with creators to reach the next generation.
This project stands as a category-defining case study in how mission-driven storytelling, rooted in trust, access, and credibility, can reshape brand communication with lasting cultural impact.
