AFRS holiday special features Aaron Tippin Published Nov. 3, 2015 By Dale Eckroth Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- From his early days performing in honky-tonks throughout South Carolina to making it big in Nashville, country star Aaron Tippin reflects on his 25-year recording career and shares his favorite holiday memories on this year's "Red, White and Air Force Blue Christmas" radio special. Hosted by Master Sgt. Harry Kibbe and produced by Air Force Recruiting Service, the one-hour program features songs from Aaron's Christmas album, "A December to Remember," along with one of his biggest hits, "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly." "Aaron is one of the most down-to-earth performers I've ever had the pleasure to work with; nothing was off the table," Kibbe said. "He talked about 'the good old days' when he was trying to make money making music and how he loves giving back to service members by taking his show to military communities all over the world." This year AFRS is partnering with Connect 360 Multimedia to maximize marketing efforts to radio stations. The company specializes in strategic marketing of radio public service announcements, also known as PSAs. According to Ken Raimondi, AFRS Broadcast manager, it was a natural fit for the company to market a "Red, White and Air Force Blue Christmas" since Connect 360 already markets PSAs produced by AFRS. "The show, which was recorded at Spotland Productions in Nashville, is part of our public service program," Raimondi said. "It's designed to inspire and engage our target audience and influencers with positive messages meant to help build communities and individuals." Raimondi explained that the nature of radio has changed and the Air Force is keeping up with that change. "At one time, radio stations loved a program like our Christmas show because they could program it during the holidays and give their disc jockeys some time off," he said. "That's still the case with many independent stations. However, stations owned by larger companies have less control over what they play." Five 30-second PSAs are packaged with the Christmas show and focus on fitness, a drug-free life and a "thank you" to veterans recorded by Tippin. Country group Lady Antebellum also recorded a message on the importance of accepting diversity. "We know stations will air the PSAs because they're something the stations still currently seek regardless of size and ownership," Raimondi said. Now in its 14th season, a "Red, White and Air Force Blue Christmas" will be made available in November to country stations and their websites, including the American Forces Network. The show will also be streamed at www.soundcloud.com/airforcerecruiting. In 2014 the program won the prestigious Department of Defense Thomas Jefferson award for best radio entertainment program. "It's a really tough competition and one that we were fortunate to win," Kibbe said. "The award speaks to the hard work everyone puts into making a 'Red White and Air Force Blue Christmas' such a fun show to listen to." Artists who've appeared on the show include Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum, the cast of TV's Nashville, Darius Rucker and Faith Hill.