WASHINGTON – Marine Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Meyer does his best recruiting face-to-face. He can look people in the eye, read their body language and get insight into whether they would make a good Marine.
But coronavirus quarantines have shut down most recruiting stations. So Meyer and other recruiters have turned increasingly to social media.
And that has its drawbacks. “They usually won’t run away if you’re talking to them in person,” said Meyer, noting that if they are online or on the phone, they can just hang up. “They just stop responding, and the conversation just ends without a conclusion.” As the coronavirus pandemic worsens and the country turns increasingly to the military for help, America’s armed services are struggling to get new