Judy: From veterans to new
recruits, the U.S. Military is
intensifying its efforts to meet
young people where they spend
their time, online and on their
devices.
As John yang reports in this
report there are critics who say
the new recruiting methods also
raise new concerns.
Reporter: Among the make-believe
superheroes and stormtroopers at
the San Antonio car show and
comic convention, the air force
hopes to find its next
generation of real-life
warriors.
In a hall filled with iconic
cars from TV shows and movies,
the air force's star attraction,
a 70 foot trailer filled with
touch screen games and f-35
fighter jet simulators.
The staff dart -- the staff
sergeant --
>> This is extremely valuable.
I am not down here by myself.
I have been in places by myself
with a table.
Reporter: The price of
admission, giving air force
recruiters contact and
demographic information.
He says the games are intended
to reflect real life skills like
diffusing an explosive device.
>> I have probably blown up --
>> I would say so.
Reporter: It is an in person
effort by the Pentagon to meet
generation Z.
Almost 90% of them play games on
phones and other devices so what
better way to get their
attention.
>> The basic rule in recruiting
is go where your market is.
Reporter: The major general is
commander of the air force
recruiting service.
>> If we are looking at the
average recruiting population,
17-24, we have to be where they
are in those virtual spaces.
Reporter: Last year the air
force released two new free
games.
One is called command the
stacked aimed at 13 and older.
It is an augmented reality
mission simulator that uses a
real satellite scans.
The games can be played on the
air force website or downloaded
from app stores and they are
promoted through targeted online
advertising.
>> About 80% of all of our
advertising and outreach is done
online and virtual spaces.
Broadly it is done on Twitter,
Snapchat and Facebook.
Reporter: Altar showed gen Z
that they have a place in a
service that this year marks its
75th anniversary amid what
Pentagon officials say is the
toughest recruiting environment
across the military and decades.
>> It is been an unusually
difficult recruiting markets.
Our recruiters have gone out
after covid.
Reporter: Among the big reasons,
about three quarters of
Americans do not meet the
qualifications because they are
overweight, have a criminal
record, did not graduate from
high school or do not meet
another requirement.
And a shrinking military means
fewer people have connections to
the military.
By 2017, it was 15% had a parent
that had served.
Recruiters also say gen Z is
more skeptical than their
elders.
That is seen here in this video.
The Pentagon's use of gaming and
recruiting -- in recruiting is
drawing criticism.
>> This is to block recruitment
processes.
Reporter: In 2020, ocasio-cortez
tried unsuccessfully to kill the
army and Navy e-sports live
-streaming.
>> Right now currently children
on platforms are bombarded with
banner ads that link to
recruitment sign-up forms that
can be submitted by children as
young as 12 years old.
These are not educational
outreach programs but
recruitment forms for the
military.
Reporter: Not all service
branches think e-sports is a
good idea.
In 2020 the Marine Corps said it
would not field a team.
Issues associated with combat
are too serious to be game of
e-ified in a responsible
manner.
He is a leader of a gamers for
peace, antiwar veterans group
whose members of livestream to
counter what they call the
military entertainment complex.
>> The recruiters have access to
kids and kids are consuming
recruiter content in any
environment.
Their guard is down and no one
else is around to monitor what
an adult is telling them.
We are trying to soften the
impact and influence the -- and
influence that recruiters have
on children.
Reporter: An air force veteran
was a drone program technician.
>> If you are trying to attract
people into the military using
a videogame, you are attracting
them do something that it is not
-- that is not real.
And in that way, what happens to
these young people should they
experience the realities of war
will be devastating.
Reporter: The top recruiter in
the air force which does not
have an e-sports team despite
its videogames acknowledges the
criticisms.
Some people say the games are
too realistic and they
desensitize people to young --
young people to these acts.
>> As a parent and grandparent,
I would encourage a lot of
involvement in what is right for
each individual because it is
important that people understand
that real life and real warfare
is not a game.
Reporter: And he says
encouraging those younger than
the military's minimum
enlistment age to play the games
is not the same thing as
actively recruiting them.
>> We are not recruiting anyone
under the age of 17.
There are a lot of young
Americans that we want to
inspire through a variety of
different ways so they are
thinking about the military as a
career.
Reporter: Help me understand the
difference between inspiring and
recruiting.
>> It really is about an active
conversation.
And they are 17, we will get
that conversation started in
earnest about the steps you take
to join the air force or the
space force or any other
service.
Under 17, we are not having
those conversations.
It is not appropriate.
Reporter: At the convention, the
gaming display struck a chord
with Nick Volker brown,
sophomore who plays football at
the university of Texas at San
Antonio.
Had you been thinking about the
air force at?
>> I had not think -- I had not
thought about it until I got in
there.
Reporter: What is your plan a?
>> NFL.
Reporter: A may be the air force
hopes they can turn into a yes.