Four more clips of service academy smack talk for your viewing (and voting) pleasure. Check out our first batch here (poll is still open), and head here for all manner of Army-Navy news.
HER MIDSHIPMAN’S SECRET SERVICE
- Premise: When Navy pride is at stake, there’s only one man for a secret mission into the dark heart of West Point. It helps when he has an assist from the Naval Academy parachute team.
- Positives: Aside from the stunts, soundtrack and passable British accent, it’s a nod to James Bond author Ian Fleming’s service in British Naval Intelligence.
- Problems: Throw a bone to the hapless villain next time ― deadly bowler, creepy kitten, jaws that cut through steel ... the options are endless.
‘SING SECOND’
- Premise: A soulful rendition of the last song West Point graduates hope to hear Saturday night in Philadelphia.
- Positives: Another offering from 2nd Lt. Austin Lachance, this may cause some tough-as-nails USMA alums to start complaining about dust in their eyes, or pretend they’ve just been chopping onions. The setting is both visually and acoustically stunning.
- Problems: Not with the video, but with the democratic process: Staff Sgt. Jeremy Gaynor, who sings alongside Cadet Arykah Moore in this piece, was a contestant on NBC’s singing competition “The Voice” in 2015 ... and didn’t escape the early rounds. Is it too late for a recount?
CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS
- Premise: An old-school commercial parody, complete with hapless cadet.
- Positives: Sometimes simple is best, and it doesn’t get much more simple than limiting most of your (usually inexperienced) actors to a single word.
- Problems: The framing cuts off what appears to be a nod to the commercial’s classic pose (fitting for a football game in Philadelphia). Plus, the notion of an Army captain, even a Capt. Morgan, isn’t exactly outside the realm of possibility.
PEO OLD SCHOOL
- Premise: The team at the Army’s Program Executive Office Soldier unveils new gear for the Black Knights via decidedly dated graphics.
- Positives: The poor sound quality, “futuristic” fonts and glitch-filled images will resonate with anyone who ever had to rewind a video after watching it. And there’s commitment to the bit: The YouTube version is uploaded in dazzling 144-pixel resolution. If you wanted lower definition, you’d almost need a radio.
- Problems: If you’re going to outfit the Army football team with top-of-the-line weapons, it’d probably be just as easy to buy off the shelf.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
