The Army claimed success in meeting its recruiting numbers for 2024 by using less traditional methods and offering unqualified candidates training to meet the standards for enlistment.
But have they even started focusing on special operations?
According to the Army Recruiting Command, 50% of young people admit they know little to nothing about military service, and 71% of them are ineligible to serve due to issues like obesity, drug use, physical and mental health problems, misconduct, or low aptitude.
Despite the challenge of recruiting from such a small pool of eligible candidates, the regular Army reports it exceeded its goal of 55,000 recruits for fiscal year 2024, bringing in 55,150 soldiers.
However, when it comes to the soldiers who bear the brunt of warfighting, even with the official end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the burden falls predominantly on U.S. special operations forces.
So, how is special operations recruiting faring?
Not so well. According to publicly available data from the past four years, they haven’t come close to meeting their goals.
In 2024, the Special Operations Recruiting Battalion achieved only 77% of its goal to recruit 4,851 soldiers.
A 2022 Congressional report by the Commission on the National Defense Strategy highlighted the shortcomings of traditional recruiting strategies like strip mall-based recruiting centers and billboard advertisements.
The report criticized the Department of Defense for failing to recruit service members and civilian contractors effectively, spending inefficiently, and being unable to meet national defense needs alone.
“Recruiters should make better use of social media to engage younger Americans, leveraging online platforms such as YouTube, which is used by approximately 95% of teens,” the report stated.
The Commission emphasized the importance of helping Americans “understand” the value of serving in the military or as civilian defense personnel to make recruiting efforts more effective.
It suggested creating narratives that highlight how service to the nation contributes to society.
“Leveraging social media to promote this narrative will ensure broader reach and engage new communities,” the report noted.
The Army—and the military as a whole—has long been accused of using these narratives on social media, particularly through “psyop influencers,” primarily young, attractive female service members.
But for special operations candidates, it’s reasonable to assume the Army seeks qualities beyond the interest of a young man or woman hoping to meet an attractive service member while serving.
So, are they using alternative methods, such as TikTok, to attract candidates?
A TikTok account named “Big Loadie” suggests special operations might be.
The account, active only since 2024, features a handful of videos showcasing glimpses of an Air Force Loadmaster/Special Missions Aviator on missions with the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR)—a special operations force that provides helicopter aviation support for special operations units.
Every video includes a simple caption or call to action to join the military. Some state that the military is better than college, while others encourage viewers with phrases like “this is your sign” to enlist.
@bigloadie Wouldn’t wanna do anything else right now. #fyp #foryoupage #military #airforce #army #aviation #planes #drake #motivation #enlisted #join ♬ original sound – ۞
If ever there were a TikTok account that could be considered a psychological operations (psyop) tool, this one might fit the bill.
But what’s more concerning: how obvious their recruiting efforts are or the fact they even need to resort to such tactics?
© 2024 The Salty Soldier All rights reserved.
The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of TheSaltySoldier.com.
