The first female-centric Marine Corps ad features a real female Marine

We’ve got our hands on something that’s bound to make you feel unstoppable. The Marine Corps released its first-ever ad showing a woman in combat, and it’s as cool as it sounds. Even better, the branch didn’t seek out a seasoned actor for the spotlight role. And instead, it used one of its very own to lead the charge.

The ad starts with a young girl putting a stop to bullying in school, and ends with the young woman channeling her leadership into a game-changing career in the Marines. To be honest, it’s just what we needed to see from the branch. And, the commercial couldn’t have come at a better time, seeing as the Marine Corps is in hot water over heavy sexism throughout.

If you needed a little jump start to your day, or a boost of courage, this is one commercial that you totally need to see. It screams “girl power” louder than we’ve ever heard before.

The Marine ad is encouraging, powerful, and shows that women are totally capable of meeting any challenge set before them.

The ad’s star, Capt. Erin Demchko, shared a few behind-the-scenes deets with The Associated Press about the commercial’s production, according to NPR. And, spoiler alert, she’s just as badass as you probably already thought she was.

It wasn’t just for show. Filming for Demchko was pretty brutal. When talking about the conditions during the amazing water scene, Demchko explained that “the water was 27 degrees and coated with a layer of thick ice.”

And as for the toughest part about the whole ordeal, Demchko said that it was “giving the film production staff what they wanted, while maintaining my bearing as a Marine officer and trying not to look cold.”

Kudos to Capt. Demchko for pulling it all off. She’s a total inspiration to many.