This article first appeared on Fox 31: https://wfxl.com/news/local/military-recruitment-drastically-down-since-the-covid-19-pandemic
Military recruitment has been drastically different since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Without having the opportunity to visit schools or meet with people in person, they’ve had to refocus their strategy on social media platforms.
The Albany Recruitment Office says prior to Coronavirus they would bring in about 20 to 25 new recruits a week.
Staff Sergeant Monique Sims says recruitment needs to be at a steady pace, even during a pandemic.
Sims says if not, it could leave the country in a vulnerable position.
“Because we’re in a pandemic right now it will leave our country vulnerable or people can think that we are vulnerable,” Sims said. “So we will still need to make sure that we’re training and that we are filling in our ranks so we can always be trained and ready for anything that might come our way.”
To help make up for the slowed progress the U.S. Army will be hosting the first ever virtual hiring event to recruit 10,000 new members nationwide.
This will go on from June 30th until July 2nd.