Army Experience Center courts mall visitors

Army Experience Center courts mall visitors
By Kathy Matheson - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Aug 29, 2008 6:08:59 EDT

PHILADELPHIA — “Heads up! Enemy helicopter inbound!”

It’s not something you’d expect to hear at a store in an American shopping mall, but, then again, not many stores have Black Hawk helicopter simulators.

The new Army Experience Center, which opens today at Franklin Mills Mall, is not exactly a store, although it is trying to sell something — the military life.

Staffed by soldiers eager to share their experiences and stocked with high-tech simulators, video gaming stations and interactive exhibits, it’s a new frontier in marketing for Army officials who hope to give the public a better understanding of today’s military.

For instance, the Army offers more than 175 careers — from water purification specialist to intelligence analyst — but not many people know it, said chief marketing officer Edward Walters.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/armyexperiencecenter_ap_082908w/%2e