The Texas Army National Guard selected Strategic Vision Inc. to help it retain and recruit personnel, enhance unit pride and document the historic actions of the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade through the development of creative multi-media products that would showcase the Guard’s successes and stimulate excitement about its missions. Strategic Vision’s team, led by an Army veteran, consisted of a highly skilled production crew, a local freelance journalist and world-renowned artist specializing in military history.

The Heritage Project Deliverables Included:

Documentary Film – A 56-minute film documented the formation and deployment of the history making 36th CAB, or Task Force Mustang, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The six-battalion brigade drew personnel from 46 states to provide aviation support for ground troops operating across Iraq. The film showcases the experiences of both new aviators and veteran pilots, some of whom had flown helicopters in Vietnam. It tells the stories of the brigade’s major engagements in some of Iraq’s most hostile areas and serves as a visual reminder of the successes that led the 36th to win the coveted AAAA Aviation Unit of the Year Award in 2008. The brigade also received the National Guard Aviation Unit of the Year Award and the Ellis D. Parker Award, and its soldiers collected more than 4,000 individual awards, including a Silver Star, 15 Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Bronze Star for Valor, 56 Air Medals and 15 Purple Hearts.

Click here to see a Sample from the Film

MonoXideProject - Music from the band, Monoxide Project, out of Arkansas was incorporated into the documentary film. Several of the band’s tracks are featured in the film and provide an “edgy” feel to the soundtrack. Monoxide Project’s music can be categorized under southern alternative rock. Several of the Brigade’s soldiers came from Arkansas and were a part of Monoxide Project’s fast-growing fan base. Because of this, and the cutting edge sounds and emotion the band produces, Strategic Vision, decided that Monoxide Project was a perfect fit for the film’s soundtrack. Hear more of MonoXideProject MonoXideProject.com

3-Panel Oil Painting – James Dietz, a talented military history artist, captured the spirit of the brigade in a precise painting that features all of the brigade’s aircraft, the Task Force Mustang patch and the faces of two soldiers from each of its battalions. The painting draws viewers into the heat of war through its depiction of the Battle of Donkey Island, which occurred in the final hours of the deployment, and the scene of a MEDEVAC aircraft taking hostile fire during a mission. Limited edition prints of the painting will be available in the coming months.

Book – A 350-page book details the 36th CAB’s trials and triumphs during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The book, which is being published in both hardcover and softbound editions, tells the engaging stories of the brigade’s soldiers, the major battles they fought and the successes they achieved. The book expands on the themes in the documentary film by weaving together human-interest stories and photographs with the main chronological account of the deployment to show what a combat aviation brigade’s soldiers face during a year at war.