USA: U.S Army hopes to project a positive image through military action figures and video games

It seems that with scandals that have plagued the U.S. military in recent years, the army is looking to boost morale and its image through these action figures and real life soldiers in video games. No more fictional G I Joes. Real life soldiers are now prototypes for military action figures. These are real soldiers who have seen it all on the battlefield. America's Army Real Heroes program of the U.S. army have brought out action figures and video games in a bid to convey the values and goals of the military to people. "With this program we try and put some of us out there in order to lift up the army as a whole, not just the army, but the services as a whole to try and make it more positive that these are normal people that were put in extraordinary situations and their actions because of that are what make them honourable," said Gerald Wofford, Sergeant First Class of the U.S. army, one of the real life soldiers who has his own action figure and is also part of the video game. Wofford hopes the positive views of soldiers transmitted through these action figures and video games will 'pique the curiosity' of younger people in the army and encourage them to talk to army recruiters. The video game itself focuses on values like team work and fighting according to the rules of engagement. "Its more realistic than any other game that I've played. The violence portion of the game is minimized to the point where the violence isn't the entertainment value, its actually accomplishing the mission. You actually succeed better and get higher marks in the game for minimizing co lateral damage and following your rules of engagement and limiting the impact on the civilian populace. If you go outside of the rules of engagement in the game, you can actually go to jail," said Wofford. The soldiers who are represented in the program have been chosen because, according to the army, they served in the army and distinguished themselves by the courage they displayed in the line of fire either in Iraq or Afghanistan or both. They have all received honours for their service. Sergeant Wofford served in Iraq after having joined the army after high school. "I'd been interested in the army my entire life and used to play with GI Joes when I was a kid and I was a kid who played army all the time. And after I joined the army, I spent 4 years at the 101st airborne division at Fort Campbell. Eventually I made my way to the 82nd airborne division and that's why I went to Iraqi Freedom. I was part of the initial invasion and then I went back in late 2004 and supported their first elections."

ITN Source | September 23, 2006

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