State Sen. Phil Williams, R-Rainbow City, has released a new TV ad, making him one of the first incumbents seeking re-election in 2014 to hit the airwaves this early. It could be a smart strategy — getting out in front of the election season clutter and reminding Cherokee and Etowah County voters who he is.

The ad, titled “Soldier,” focuses on Williams’ experience as an Army Airborne Ranger. Williams currently holds the rank of Lt. Colonel in the Army Reserve and has served for 24 years in various reserve component Special Operations and Airborne units. Since 9/11 he has served two combat tours in the Global War on Terror, one each in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as one tour in the Pentagon on the Army Staff’s Special Operations Division.

Three of Williams’ military colleagues narrated the ad.

A transcript of the ad is below:

Williams’ military colleague 1:

I served with Phil in the 20th Special Forces group. We’ve done a lot of airborne operations together. He’s the recipient of two Bronze Star medals — one for Iraq and one for Afghanistan. He performs like a rock, that’s just the kind of guy he is. He’s a super soldier, super individual.

Williams’ military colleague 2:

[He’s] just a strong leader, but not only that, he’s very conservative. He’s a true conservative.

Williams’ military colleague 3:

I know the kind of person Phil Williams is and I know that there’s no compromising as far as values.

What do you think? Is it a strong ad?

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