MILWAUKEE -- During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the Milwaukee Recruiting Battalion ensured the Army remained a career choice in the minds of Southridge Mall patrons. Located in Milwaukee's southwest suburbs, Wisconsin's largest shopping center was host to a storefront Army Strong Zone.
The intent was to reach the senior alpha market during the highest shopping period of the year at one of the most visited retail sites in the area, said Lt. Col. Robert L. Cody II, battalion commander.
"We looked at the holiday season and realized that a significant portion of our target market is either shopping or just strolling through the mall," Cody said. "The logical conclusion was for us to engage our target market there. We wanted to build irreversible momentum by getting the public used to seeing our Soldiers."
The Army Strong Zone increased contact with the local community, especially with people who might shy away from recruiting stations. It made interacting with uniformed Soldiers a normal activity, he said.
The battalion partnered with a local radio station to coordinate a site at the mall and draw traffic through radio remotes and live broadcasts. Popular local radio personalities and former Green Bay Packers players promoted the Zone with appearances and recruiter interviews.
The site was also host to Milwaukee Bucks forward Drew Gooden who signed autographs and took photos with fans. Mayor Michael J. Neitzke, city of Greenfield, supported the grand opening by participating in the ribbon cutting ceremony. That was followed by an assumption of command ceremony for the new Milwaukee Company commander.
When the Zone was not hosting special events or celebrity appearances, recruiters and Reserve Soldiers greeted passers-by encouraging them to visit the site, said 1st Sgt. Gregory Cowper, Milwaukee Company.
"The Soldiers made it an open and inviting atmosphere," he said. "They also walked throughout the mall and made themselves friendly to everyone."
Mall management prohibits Soldiers from soliciting, but that didn't mean the Soldiers couldn't talk to people who approached them, Cowper said.
Inside the Army Strong Zone, visitors tried their marksmanship skills on the Future Soldier Training System, a laser shot simulation of pop up targets or tactical missions. Prospects could view video descriptions of the various military occupational specialties and talk with Soldiers.
The marked presence of Soldiers, Future Soldiers, and even locally-based Reserve Soldiers, also had a secondary effect in the community. During school hours, when the mall draws older patrons, Soldiers developed relationships with potential centers of influence.
"As a matter of raising Army awareness in the area, the Zone has made significant inroads," said Sgt. 1st Class Gary McDowell, Waukesha station commander.
"We are making contact with people whom we wouldn't have got on the phone. It's good in that aspect," he said.
Even when the crowds dwindled down after the shopping spree ended, the bitter Milwaukee weather kept the mall a choice location for leisure. The Soldiers wasted no time in offering GI Johnnie as a photo prop, the America's Army game as a free recreational activity, or a handshake with a Soldier who had a story to tell, said McDowell.
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