USAREC Commanding General
As we look toward our role
in recruiting the Army of 2020, we must consider that prospects for Army
2020 are just now turning 12 years old - all they have known of the military
so far is about conflict in the Middle East.
How will that shape their
propensity to serve? How will we communicate with them? How will we garner
their interest? Who will be our advocates for the next six years to help them
in making decisions for their future?
How, too, has the dozen
years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan shaped future conflicts? We believe a
series of powerful global trends is already in place to shape the strategic
environment, creating a complex mix of threats, opportunities for
violence, and emerging political motivators. Combining struggles for land and
water, emerging information technologies, political, cultural and religious
agendas, and changing economic realities, we will face an environment more
complex than we have heretofore known. In order to be ready for the
fast-approaching future of 2020, we must transition from an army at war to a force in
preparation for that future.
Intellectually, we know we
must adapt our training and technologies. But if we enhance our Army's
capabilities, must we not also find and recruit those individuals with the
intellectual agility and adaptability to survive and thrive within those
enhanced capabilities?
I recently changed our
mission statement to read: From 1
October 2013 through September 2019,
the Army (USAREC) will recruit professional, volunteer Soldiers for
Soldier 2020, Soldiers who are capable of effectively executing operations in
the Army's complex operating environment.
We are already struggling
with a challenging Reserve mission. Will that struggle be our
"canary in the coal mine," the harbinger of other systemic challenges? Or will the Reserve mission begin our
commitment to innovation and brainstorming ideas to
bring us to recruiting success for Army 2020?
The rest of the Army is
working through what the Army of 2020 will look like. I challenge USAREC to
think about this: The high school seniors we will recruit in 2020 are
in 6th grade now. Can you answer these questions: How will we communicate
with them? How will we garner their interest? Who will be our advocates for
the next six years to help them in making decisions for their
future?
Let me know your thoughts.
We as recruiters need to also go the elementary schools and talk to them too.
ReplyDeleteThe propensity of our youths to join the military service is dependent on how they perceive the nation treats its Veterans. In view of that the Veterans are great source to communicate service to our nation...we need to tap on that source by having our Recruiters engage them to join them to conduct community actions/functions. Use social media to increase awareness...find the niche for this Future Soldier 2020 and focus the marketing on that.
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ReplyDeleteArmy of 2020: Let’s combine Recruiter Field and National Marketing efforts towards our 6th Graders of today; in order to set the conditions for 2020. Powerful themes of interest for 12 yr olds are STEM; "Benefits for life"; Paid Education; and High Adventure Opportunities such as unique training programs, world travel, and schools that challenge the mind, body, and soul. Most 6th graders inspire to be a professional athlete, musician, or a doctor. They can accomplish this as a U.S. Army Ranger, Army Band Member, or by being an Army Doctor of any practice. VR/ McLendon-CHAMPION 6
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