"With young people living increasingly online - and with the Army mired in a yearslong recruiting slump - the service launched a trial program less than a year ago with eight vetted troops who already command attention on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. One is a female bodybuilder. Another is a public affairs officer who preaches resilience. Some merge the latest social media trends with military peculiarities."
"The trial program aims to spark interest in enlistment among young people. The service doesn't pay fees to these influencers for their posts, but it spent about $22,000 on their travel and lodging around a marquee event in June. (The strategy worked, with their event-related posts reaching an impressive 40 million people online, internal documents show). The service has wavered on fully embracing the program, recently pausing it for an ethics review."
Traditional Army recruiting relied on uniformed recruiters visiting schools, career fairs, and community events. The Army launched a trial less than a year ago using eight vetted service members who already have followings on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to reach young, online audiences. Influencers in the trial include a female bodybuilder, a public affairs officer who promotes resilience, and a National Guard soldier who blends farming and family humor. The service covered about $22,000 in travel and lodging for a marquee event whose related posts reached roughly 40 million people. The program was later paused for an ethics review.
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