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Meet Your Army

Thursday, February 7, 2019

What is it?

Meet Your Army is an outreach initiative to connect, inspire and educate the American public to support and sustain their Army. Through strategically planned engagements, Meet Your Army builds upon America’s trust and confidence in the Army by contributing to the knowledge of and public support for the Army and the Soldiers.

The Office of the Chief of Public Affairs’ (OCPA) Outreach Division runs this initiative.

What are the current and past efforts of the Army?

The Army is focused on 22 priority cities throughout the country where the Army can most effectively tell the Army story. These cities were chosen based upon demographics and the local populations to support Army accessions.

Brigadier and major generals from all three components, Active, Reserve and Guard, are the core strategic messengers. There are also opportunities for all general officers, senior enlisted and senior civilians. Meet Your Army planners match strategic messengers to events where their stories resonate. Other Army outreach assets – such as bands, color guards, national anthem singers, parachute demonstration teams, static displays and aerial demonstrations – are also used to display the professional Army while projecting a lasting positive image of what it means to serve the nation as a Soldier.

Meet Your Army engagements are coordinated with the following Army commands that are near priority cities:

The Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) help set conditions before, during and after the engagements to sustain awareness.

What are the continued efforts planned by the Army?

The Meet Your Army program will continue to create new connections and strengthen existing ones. Meet Your Army will support the Accessions Enterprise by promoting awareness of the Army’s capabilities and functions, and by enhancing the understanding of the Army through outreach activities in priority cities.

Why is this important to the Army?

The trust and confidence of the American people forms the cornerstone of the Army. Since 1973, the Army has transitioned to an all-volunteer force and the percentage of Americans with a personal connection to a Soldier has dropped dramatically. Focus groups reveal that Americans generally respect the military, but they do not have a strong understanding of the Army or feel a deep emotional connection to it.

Resources:

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Events

FEBRUARY 2019

African American/ Black History Month - Visit African Americans in the U.S. Army

Feb. 18: Presidents Day