New medals and revised marketing strategy are part of Army’s battle against recruitment slump

The Army is putting the finishing touches on new ribbons that will be awarded to soldiers who help convince someone to join the military, three sources with direct knowledge of the plan told Military.com.

It is unknown when the medals will be awarded. An Army official and recruiter interviewed by Military.com said there was no silver bullet for the recruitment slump seen in the service last year, with 15,000 active duty soldiers falling short of their target of recruiting 60,000 recruits. I’m here. The Army National Guard faces an even more serious problem.

Despite falling short of its target last year, the Army has raised its target this year, with senior leaders aiming to recruit 65,000 new full-time soldiers, and to come up with new strategies to increase the number. I’m in a hurry.

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As of now, there are no easy answers as to how the service has changed its recent trajectory and is attracting new recruits. Future medals are part of a broader initiative to encourage current soldiers to “tell the story of the Army,” showing off the positive elements of their current rank and file service to friends and family. It is a topic often repeated by senior leaders in the hope that Push applicants into recruitment offices.

The Army is also emphasizing streaming advertising to reach a younger demographic.Last year, the service spent at least $104 million on advertising, half of that, according to internal service data reviewed by Military.com. was spent on digital advertising on platforms such as YouTube, Hulu and Peacock, and audio streaming such as Spotify. About $25 million was spent on online searches, including Google ads, that year. Traditional TV, such as Adult Swim, A&E, and BET, had about $16.6 million in ad buys. Social media was the least spent by the Army, just over $8 million.

The Army is set to launch a new advertising campaign in March that will bring back the classic “Be All You Can Be” slogan, but the new ad will ditch the old jingles heard in commercials in the 1990s. The focus of the campaign is to convince Gen Z that military service does not interfere with their lives. The idea is that someone might be able to get out with a short military service with benefits like a GI bill or a generous home. Take out a loan or build a career for life.

“Serving in the Army is really no limiter. It doesn’t keep you from your hopes, dreams and plans,” Col. John Horning, director of marketing strategy for the Army’s Enterprise Marketing Office, said in an interview with Military.com. said in..”[Service] In fact, for many people, their hopes, dreams, and plans can be put on a little nitrogen boost. But whether it’s a single term or not, it’s really not that long given the developmental opportunities that go into it. “

For Army leaders, comprehensive planning comes down to ensuring that the broader message of the comprehensive branch that provides the foothold reaches as many Americans as possible.

Secretary of War Christine Wormuth said in a statement to the military last year, “We need to tell the story of the Army in new ways so that we can continue to be the first choice for Americans who want to serve our country.” We need to reach out to Americans of all backgrounds, talents, and communities to give them multiple reasons to join and stay in our great Army.My goal is to make every American aware of what the Army must do. It’s about being able to see yourself in what you don’t have to offer.”

However, the message, delivered in February and repeated over most of the past year, did not appear to meaningfully address the Army’s recruiting problem.

Recruitment issues are a compilation of issues, including some that are largely outside the Army’s control. In large part, the obesity crisis and poor academic performance of young Americans disqualify them from military service. A senior military leader told Military.com that some of the problems simply stem from a pseudo-peacetime with no war to spur US military action.

Army planners are trying everything from rapidly expanding basic pre-training courses for recruits who are slightly overweight or who fail the SAT-style entrance exam to qualify for enlistment. . The effort has shown early promise, and senior military leaders, including the Army’s top officer, General James McConville, have been cheering on the program both in public and behind the scenes.

The Army has also implemented some new recruitment incentives. Most notably, allowing recruits to choose their first place of service within limits. Top pick is Alaska, whose highest ever hiring bonus reached $50,000 last year. However, it’s unclear if these incentives will bring some talent to recruiters, or just sweeten the deal for those already interested in signing up.

The service needs to find a way to attract new hires. And the Army Recruitment Command, which bears much of that responsibility, was slow to announce a concrete plan. , became responsible for about 10,000 recruits spread across 1,400 locations.

“Last year was difficult, and we expect this year to be equally difficult, but the Army understands the importance of our mission and fully supports the Recruitment Command.” Davis said in a statement to Military.com. We emailed a survey to everyone in the United States.We received over 44,000 responses from soldiers, recruiters, and civilians.We use this information to assess, quality of life, human resource management, training and more. We’ve identified a lot of areas we need to focus on, and we’re listening to recruiters because it’s all about people.”

All services face broader demographic headwinds that Army officials say have greatly complicated recruitment efforts. 20% short of our recruitment target on average since 2019.

However, most of the other services are comparatively much better. The Air Force hit its hiring goals last year following a variety of new bonuses. Since the Space Force is still very small at its infancy, its leadership is not facing major recruitment challenges as it expands slowly. The Marine Corps barely managed to meet its recruitment targets after a difficult battle, but is significantly smaller than most other services.

Like the Army, the Navy will rely on current members to welcome new members and begin the program in late December. The “Every Sailor is a Recruiter” initiative encourages sailors to submit contact information for friends and family they “believe”. [are] Perfect fit for our navy. “

Sailors are promised a “Flag Certificate”, a letter from the Admiral, rather than a medal, for each successful contract. Characters are worth points towards promotion and are limited to a maximum of 2 crew members.

The program is in line with a shift in how maritime service leaders think about recruitment. Admiral Michael Gilday, the military’s chief executive, said in an auditorium at the Surface Naval Association’s annual conference in Alexandria, Virginia, that the navy recruits recruits by persuading the important people in their lives first. He said he was trying to encourage

Gilday explained that the Navy is considering returning to advertising on television and other legacy media and their content.

“All of you have served or have served,” Gilday told an auditorium of mostly senior and retired officers. will help you more than you think.”

Command Naval Recruitment Command spokesperson Dave Benham explained that the Navy is looking at programs like the Crew Recruitment Initiative as a way to increase interest in the Navy. The initiative is intended to break down the barriers recruits encounter later in their journey.

The Navy’s historically high bonuses, currently widest enlistment age range, and lowered admissions standards are an effort to remain competitive with other services.

In a survey of key recruiting demographics aged 17-24, the service found: But models, diversity, equity and inclusion,” Benham said. “This is consistent with the Navy’s core values ​​and our desire to ensure that we cast the widest net possible.”

Complicating the service’s efforts to market to Gen Z are the increasing restrictions on the use of major platforms. With approximately 50 million to he 80 million active users in the US, TikTok has effectively become the dominant source of news and entertainment for Gen Z.

However, President Joe Biden has banned the popular Chinese app from being used on government phones due to growing cybersecurity concerns. In recent weeks, nearly 20 states have followed suit, banning his TikTok from government devices. Some senior Army officials, he told Military.com about the issue, said they understood the risks of China’s espionage activities, but that the ban could seriously affect the service’s ability to connect with young Americans. I am also concerned about whether there is

Officials have publicly said they will find other avenues to reach the same potential recruits.

“This kind of content is very popular. There are other platforms like YouTube and Instagram where you can create short-form videos,” Horning said. “There are different ways we get to them.”

— Thomas Novelly contributed to this report.

— Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

— Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. follow him on twitter @ktoropin.

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