The Army has turned to video games as a recruitment tool.
A team of videogamers was put together within its ranks to try and reach young Americans in the digital worlds where they spend so much time.
As one of its latest recruiting efforts, the Army is asking active duty troops and reservists to compete in major video-game competitions and esports events. The Army ramped up efforts to bring in new recruits after this year, for the first time, it failed to meet financial targets and grow its ranks to more than 500,000, Stars and Stripes reported.
To get started, a new gaming team has been formed that has its own Twitter account and is part of the marketing and engagement team in Fort Knox, KY.
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“They will be in a support role to help young people see soldiers in a different light and understand the many different roles people can have in the Army (and) help the Army address the growing disconnect with society,” Army Recruiting Command Spokeswoman Kelli Bland told Stars and Stripes.
In March, the Army launched an esports organization, The Military Gaming League, exclusively for service members and veterans and has added 100 members a month since then.
The Airforce has also entered the esports arena, partnering this summer with an esports teams to host events and sponsor a web series.
To learn more about how to profit from the business of esports, join us at the ESports Business Summit, Sept. 10-12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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