The Barracks

Ever been in a conversation with someone about a celebrity or an athlete and mistakenly thought they were no longer with us only to find out they are alive and well? It happened with a Medal of Honor recipient. US Army Pvt. William Crawford was declared KIA in September 1943 and was posthumously awarded Medal of Honor for acts of valor during WWII, which was presented to his father. The only problem was that Crawford wasn't dead. He had been captured by the Germans and spent almost the rest of WWII in a Nazi POW camp. Back at home and after a brief try at post-war civilian life, he reenlisted and would end up making a career in the Army, retiring as a master sergeant in 1967. After leaving the military, he went back to his native Colorado and took a job at the United States Air Force Academy. There, he lived a quiet and unassuming life as a janitor. Then one day, a cadet stumbled upon the story of a Pvt. Crawford in Italy during World War II. When asked asked whether he was the same William Crawford, he said: "Yep, that's me." After his Medal of Honor became widely recognized around the campus, Crawford mentioned to friends that he had never actually been presented the medal. At the 1984 commencement ceremony, President Ronald Reagan presented Crawford his Medal of Honor, 40 years after his first, "posthumous" presentation. #MilitaryMarketing #MilitaryAppreciation #Military #MedalOfHonor

I can't say how prevalent April Fool's Day pranks are in the workplace these days, but they are alive and well in the US military. Possibly the best prank execution started in the 1960s when sailors came to relieve others on aircraft carriers. The footage below was shot in 1986 from the deck of the USS John F Kennedy. As part of the changeover, a helicopter flew over to the JFK, ostensibly to “drop off some official paperwork,” according to air crewmen.   As the helicopter touched down on Kennedy’s flight deck, the crew released three pigs painted with red, white and blue food coloring and lathered in grease.  #MilitaryMarketing #MilitaryAppreciation #Military #AprilFools

I'd wager, at some point in your life, you've either owned or wanted to own a Jeep. Did you know the iconic vehicle originated out of necessity during WWII? In July 1940, the United States Department of Defense challenged 135 manufacturers to build the best "general purpose" lightweight, off-road reconnaissance vehicle. Willys, Ford Motor Company and Bantam answered with vehicle prototypes that could tackle any terrain in their path with four-wheel drive. At the end of testing, Willys won out with the MB Jeep (named for the phonetic spelling of the 'GP' acronym). Jeep is releasing a 2025 Wrangler to commemorate the original Jeep, the 1941 Willys MB. The new special-edition Jeep Wrangler pays homage to the classic 1941 Willys MB, a vehicle renowned for its ruggedness and capability, all as a modern interpretation of the iconic Willys MB. #MilitaryMarketing #MilitaryAppreciation #Military

Tomorrow is National Vietnam War Veterans Day, which is a national observance recognizing veterans who served in the US military during the Vietnam War. More than 3M Americans served in the war, 1.5M of whom saw combat. 58,220 American soldiers were killed, more than 150K wounded, and at least 21K permanently disabled. The average age of US troops killed was 23. The war has been featured extensively in TV, film, video games, music, and literature. One of the first major films based on the war was John Wayne's pro-war The Green Berets (1968). Other cinematic releases included The Deer Hunter (1978), Apocalypse Now (1979), Platoon (1986) Full Metal Jacket (1987), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Casualties of War (1989), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Forrest Gump (1994), We Were Soldiers (2002), and Rescue Dawn (2007). The war influenced a generation of musicians and songwriters in Vietnam, the US, and elsewhere, both pro/anti-war and pro/anti-communist, with the Vietnam War Song Project having identified 5,000+ songs referencing the conflict.  You can always say, "thank you for your service" to someone who has served. Another appropriate statement to make to someone serving during the Vietnam conflict is to say, "welcome home." #MilitaryMarketing #MilitaryAppreciation #VietnamVeteransDay #ThankVietnamVets 

Last Thursday was the official first day of spring, but has spring really sprung until Major League Baseball \(MLB\)'s opening day? Wait no longer, as 28 teams take the field today. MLB and it's clubs celebrate #MilitaryAppreciation throughout the year, recognizing individual servicemembers and executing various events. Even though MLB doesn't have a #SaluteToService program like the National Football League \(NFL\), they do support many nonprofit partners, similar to the NFL. American Corporate Partners \(ACP\), Blue Star Families, Code of Support Foundation, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, The Mission Continues, USA Patriots, and Wounded Warrior Project are all organizations receiving support from the league. The miss here is, there's no brand support. The mistake so many leagues and teams make is that they focus on the organizations which receive the benefit of a cause-based program. And that is an important element to align to and focus on. However, there's also a business opportunity that is being completely overlooked -- brand partners. With a population of ~40M who spend $1.3T annually, the military community is a consumer segment a brand would be interested in reaching. For the brand, a partnership with a league that reaches a large contingent of the military community is a valuable partnership. For the league, that's revenue being left on the table, as well as a value-add to the program overall. #MilitaryMarketing #Military #OpeningDay #MLB

The Medal of Honor is the US' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American military who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. Today is Medal of Honor Day, created to honor the heroism and sacrifice of Medal of Honor Recipients. The Medal of Honor is the oldest continuously issued combat decoration of the United States Armed Forces. According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website, there have been 3,528 Medals of Honor awarded. What does this mean from a #MilitaryMarketing standpoint? First, this is an opportunity to recognize exemplary military service, which is explained succinctly in the law signed by President George HW Bush in 1991: ...who have distinguished themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their lives above and beyond the call of duty. The takeaway is, recognizing military service of these individuals is a recognition of the military service of all who have worn the uniform. Second, these individuals are the super heroes or rock stars of the military. They are revered among those who have served. When a brand recognizes the heroes of the military, there's a marketing benefit to the brand. But most importantly, it's the right thing to do! As part of a larger military marketing strategy, recognizing the moments throughout the year important to the military audience creates a connection between the brand and the individual. Acknowledging aspects of military life and other military touchpoints shows an understanding on the part of the brand. The underlying benefits of doing so are the lift the brand would realize in brand metrics from the military community. #MilitaryAppreciation #Military #MedalofHonorDay #MedalofHonor

Did you know there is a national Medal of Honor Museum? Up until this week, there wasn't. As of tomorrow, the museum, located in Arlington, TX, will be open to the public. The National Medal of Honor Museum recently held a private grand opening celebration. The event served as a platform to honor the recipients of the Medal of Honor and to celebrate their extraordinary acts of bravery and selflessness. #MilitaryMarketing #MilitaryAppreciation #MedalOfHonor #Military

How many NCAA athletes are you aware of who split time between classes, sports participation, and military service? Meet Ja Harvey, point guard from the women's team at @unomaha. Harvey serves in the Air National Guard, balancing being a student, an athlete, as well as the mandatory drills one weekend a month, along with the annual two-week training. Harvey has seen how serving in the armed forces has helped her basketball game. Beyond the practicality of maintaining her peak physical fitness, she found that the National Guard’s training in maintaining discipline and taking in the moment has come into play. Having completed her senior year, the next decision will be whether to pursue professional basketball or a life in the @united-states-air-force. #MilitaryMarketing #MilitaryAppreciation #Military #MarchMadness

Got your brackets filled out yet? The 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament tips off in about two hours, viewable on CBS, TNT, TBS, and Tru. How does the military watch the tourney? The Defense Media Activity and the American Forces Network broadcast all tournament games to overseas military audiences in partnership with broadcasters and the NCAA. AFN is a government TV and radio broadcast service provided by the US military to those stationed or assigned overseas. While programming is provided to AFN by major TV networks and program syndicators at little to no cost, for copyright and licensing reasons it is intended solely for US forces personnel. AFN's primary mission is to provide access for distributing command information, which air during commercial breaks in programming instead of traditional ads. These CI spots run the gamut from reminding service members to register to vote, promoting local command-sponsored recreation events and off-duty educational programs, providing health and wellness tips, and listing what's playing at local base movie theaters. To the dismay of brands, AFN does not allow for traditional ads to run on-air. Many service members welcome this approach, while others find it troublesome, especially during the airing of the Super Bowl. The network is allowed to broadcast commercial movie promotion trailers provided by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service and the Navy Motion Picture Service to promote the latest film releases in base theaters worldwide. #MilitaryMarketing #MilitaryAppreciation #Military #MarchMadness

Fleet Week kicked off this week in Sacramento, where Sailors will connect with the community through performances, educational events, and service projects. Since its inception in 2005, the program has visited more than 95 markets across the US. Sacramento is one of 15 Navy Weeks in 2025, which brings a variety of assets, equipment, and personnel to a single city for a weeklong series of engagements designed to bring the US Navy closer to the people it protects. Each year, the program reaches more than 140 million people -- about half the US population. Throughout the week, Sailors will participate in community service projects with organizations such as REBUILDING TOGETHER SACRAMENTO, the Sacramento Zoo, River City Food Bank, Loaves & Fishes Community Services, and the Sacramento SPCA. They will also engage with local students through STEM-focused sessions at University of California, Davis and local high schools. The Navy Band will perform live at venues across the city. #MilitaryMarketing #MilitaryAppreciation #Military