Kaylah Walton
The United States Army is facing a recruitment crisis, struggling to attract new members to its branches. To address this issue, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, a renowned actor and former WWE star, collaborated with the Army to boost enrollment through promotional campaigns led by Johnson. However, a failed initiative has led to a financial disagreement, with the Army now attempting to reclaim millions of dollars invested in a recruitment drive that yielded no new recruits. Johnson, who was part of the investor group that provided him $15 million to acquire the XFL rights in 2020, later combined the XFL with the USFL to form the UFL.
Repayment Obligations of Dwayne Johnson
The collaboration between Johnson and the United States Army was seen as a promising initiative to boost military recruitment. However, the outcome fell short of expectations, with many initial recruits leaving the army due to various factors, including the prevailing political climate. The Army had invested $11 million into the venture but received minimal returns. Military.com reported that the Army is now aiming to recover $6 million of their initial investment. Officials involved in the campaign expressed disappointment in the results, deeming the recruiting efforts as a failure.
As part of the agreement, Dwayne was supposed to create promotional social media posts on his platforms, which collectively reach hundreds of millions of followers. The Army expected a minimum of five posts, each valued at $1 million. However, Johnson only posted twice, which caused dissatisfaction among Army officials. Despite the lack of successful recruitments, the Army acknowledged ongoing communication with the UFL and maintained a positive partnership with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
