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The U.S. Army has launched a new marketing campaign called "Field Tested," aimed at showing young Americans how military service builds hands-on experience, confidence, and proven skills.
Staff Sgt. Kenneth Garcia, who appears in the campaign, said the effort speaks directly to what the Army offers recruits.
"Field Tested is the U.S. Army's newest campaign, showing young Americans how the Army builds real-world skills and confidence to reach their full potential and be all they can be."
Garcia said field training is central to Army life because it prepares soldiers for real-world conditions.
"The field is the Army's ultimate training environment, where soldiers step outside of their routines, classrooms to practice the skills of their army job in a realistic setting."
He said one example of that training is the Joint Readiness Training Center, known as JRTC, a grueling 14-day field exercise that simulates combat.
"We use the field to simulate the exact challenges and conditions we may face when we are called upon for real mission. An example of this would be JRTC, Joint Readiness Training Center. This basically just tests mental fortitude and physical toughness in a grueling 14-day field. Exercise simulates combat, and it just takes everything that you learn in the past six months from all your culminating events. And you just put everything on the table, and you just go out there and, you know, succeed."
Garcia enlisted six years ago alongside his cousin through the Army's buddy enlistment program, which allowed them to attend basic training, Airborne school, and their first duty station together at the 82nd Airborne Division.
"I ended up joining, you know, seeking guidance and stability in my life. And I have found both throughout my Army career and I serve as a scout team leader in Fort Polk, Louisiana. Just, you know, being a leader, a mentor and a trainer for young soldiers just to be better than me one day."
Garcia said the skills soldiers develop in the field stay with them long after their service ends.
"These technical and life skills of functioning and leading under pressure formed in the field, stayed with soldiers long after their military service ends. Some examples of that would be like their leadership attributes, discipline and, you know, mental fortitude as well. These also open doors for different career paths for like tech, engineering, intelligence and medical fields."
More information about the Field-Tested campaign is available at goarmy.com/fieldtested.
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