Double Tap Blog » "America’s Army" under fire

"America’s Army" under fire

April 22nd, 2007 by Double Tap

By “America’s Army”, I mean the video game that the U.S. Army developed as a recruiting tool, but has expanded to be one of the most popular on-line games out there. Of course, since we are now in a conflict, all of the anti-war types are crying about anything the services do to recruit new service members. The America’s Army game has become one of the targets of their derision.

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Anti-recruitment groups are slamming a US Army deal to sponsor a computer war game channel, charging that real war is no game.

In June, the Army is set to sponsor a channel at the Global Gaming League website, a popular spot for Internet computer game lovers.

A first-person shooter game based on the army training manual will be a centerpiece of the channel, which will feature other games in the same genre.

The “America’s Army” game was released about five years ago and ranks in the top 10 most popular computer games of its kind, according to McCann World Group vice president Anders Ekman, who is handling the project for the Army.

The Army is obviously targeting the teenage boy crowd with the game - as they have with every other recruiting campaign they’ve ever had. Army recruits are generally in the 17-24 age group, so this make sense - you would think.

“It is part of this campaign for the last 20 years to invade youth culture with militarism,” Project on Youth and Non-military Opportunities co-founder Rick Jahnkow told AFP.
“It affects the way young people think. It affects their world view. That is a very dangerous thing.”

It’s a volunteer army - remember? No one is forced into the Army. Of course the Army’s going to play up the things that entice young men and women to want to join. Since no one’s getting drafted anymore, of course they have to run ads and promotions that invade the “youth culture”.

Oskar Castro of the “admittedly anti-war” American Friends Service Committee said it is wrong for military recruiters to use technology and pop culture to entice young people to enlist without showing them the ugly sides of service.

Yeah, like any corporate recruiter talks about layoffs or other issues at his corporation as he tries to entice college students to join his company.

“If it is virtual reality, why don’t you see people screaming for their mother while they die?” asked Castro, who said he had played America’s Army.

Wow, that would be kind of a drag in a computer game…Besides, you don’t think those kids see plenty of soldiers dieing in other popular culture genres, like movies?

“If you are going to show what war is like you should show what war is like. You don’t have ‘game over’ and start again. ‘Game over’ means you come home in a body bag and a casket.”

Actually, ‘game over’ for me was a flight home on a chartered jet, but whatever.

Listen, I play America’s Army - a lot. The game is set up so all military players are identified in the game by what service they are. Occasionally, I get asked questions about my army experiences. I don’t sugar-coat what I do, but since I believe the army is an honorable profession and that it has been good to me, I don’t shy away from telling those kids who ask me about it how I really feel.

The anti’s might not like it, but I’m proud of my service and I don’t mind telling 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds that the military is a great career and a great way to do something for your country. That’s something I firmly believe in.

Here’s a television ad produced by the U.S. Army that directly targets those gamers out there, and it doesn’t bother me a bit.

For those unfamiliar with the America’s Army game, a short ego-trip video follows. Do a YouTube search under ‘americas army’ and you’ll see about 50 of these.