The Army is putting the finishing touches on a new ribbon to be awarded to soldiers who help convince someone to join the service, three sources with direct knowledge of the plans told Military.com.
It’s unclear when the medal will start to be awarded. Army officials and recruiters interviewed by Military.com say there is no silver bullet to the recruiting slump the service saw last year, when it came up 15,000 active-duty soldiers short of its goal of bringing in 60,000 new recruits. The Army National Guard is in even deeper trouble.
Despite failing to hit its target last year, the Army has increased its goal this year, with senior leaders aiming to recruit 65,000 new full-time soldiers while scrambling to come up with new strategies to boost numbers.
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Right now, the service doesn’t have any easy answers on how it can change the recent trajectory and attract new recruits. The upcoming medal is part of a broader initiative to get current soldiers to “tell the Army story,” a talking point often repeated by senior leaders in the hopes that the current rank and file showing off the positive elements of service to friends and family could push applicants into recruiting offices.
The Army has also been emphasizing its streaming advertising to reach a younger demographic. Last year, the service spent at least $104 million on advertising,…
