FORT KNOX, Ky. –
U.S. Army Recruiting Command is launching a two-week effort to reconnect with communities across America with its March to Service campaign March 21-31.
During this awareness campaign, leaders from across the Army will head outside the gates to meet with community and education leaders across the country to ensure they understand the opportunities and benefits available through military service.
“Very limited face-to-face contact over the last two years has had an impact on our relationships with our communities,” said Maj. Gen. Kevin Vereen, who leads the Army’s recruiting effort for both the Regular Army and the Army Reserve. “It is critical for us to rebuild those relationships and get community leaders on board to support us. It truly takes a whole community to help find the right people for the Army; we can’t do it alone.”
Studies show that about 75 percent of today’s young people do not fully understand the Army or the careers it offers. This awareness challenge is the focus of the March to Service campaign, which aims to provide information about the more than 150 different occupations in the Army as well as key benefits of service – to include technical training, 30 days of paid vacation, health care, money for college classes and certifications, family support programs, and even up to $50,000 in bonuses.
“We find that people often change their impression of the Army when they are able to talk directly to a Soldier,” Vereen said. “They are able to ask questions and talk about some of the misperceptions they may have about what it’s really like to be a Soldier. Many people truly just don’t understand what we do because they have never had the chance to find out.”
The March to Service campaign to connect with community leaders is being held leading up to Army Service Week in April. This phase of the awareness effort will focus on highlighting the young people across the country who have made the decision to serve and connecting directly to individuals who are eligible for enlistment.