A military veteran who has turned his experience into a popular video series is expanding beyond the military.
Sam Eckholm, a former Air Force captain, has grown a YouTube channel to more than a million followers by taking viewers behind the scenes of the branches of the military.
He’s launching a new documentary series called “Access Granted” to continue that approach with the military while also adding behind-the-scenes looks at other industries and “introducing the people shaping the world we live in today,” according to a release.
Eckholm was recently named to the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. The magazine honored him for his “innovative approach to sharing stories of military service members and the missions they perform.”
Eckholm says he started his video series 5 years ago on his own, but now will have a full production team as he launches the new documentary series.
He told Military.com part of his mission is to help people see the military in an authentic way. He shared the story of flying in the back of an F-16 pulling 9.5 G’s.
“If you watch a demo pilot fly, they’re world class at what they do and it looks like they’re in a commercial airliner,” he told Military.com. “But when viewers see me with my face melting and passing out — it shows what these pilots actually endure.”
Click here to see the trailer for the new series.