Army creates virtual recruiting center
Service seeks recruits through cyberspace skydiving and piloting.
A virtual Army recruiting center will be launched on Second Life in
January 2009, according to the Army Training and Doctrine Command.
Two
islands will be on the Second Life virtual platform, the command said
Dec. 10. Second Life is a virtual world where users are able to
interact with each other through avatars.
The Army Second Life
islands will be information hubs for interested candidates and their
families. It is designed to be a relaxed way to learn more about what
it is like to be a soldier, command officials said. Army recruiters
will be available to answer questions about career opportunities in
that service.
Visitors enter the Second Life island through a
welcome center and are greeted by an Army avatar, the command said.
Visitors can attend classes and have their avatars perform tasks that
include skydiving and flying an Apache helicopter.
The
six-month, pilot program marks the first time the service is using the
virtual landscape for recruiting purposes, command officials said.