AXIAL FIRE was founded in response to the ongoing DoD recruiting crisis, specifically the impact on U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF). Since 2020, all U.S. military branches have been struggling to meet their recruiting mission with SOF units being no exception.

The river of Millennial interest had dried to a Gen Z trickle, threatening the sustainability of the high entry standards that have underpinned our nation’s elite warrior communities.

In response, our team has taken a data-first approach and found that the existing recruiting toolbox (e.g. Paid Traffic, Earned Media, Social Media, Outreach Events, etc.) was simply not enough to curb the crisis on their own. SOF recruiting needed a new tool.

At the heart of our research, we found that young people considering the biggest decision of their life have a simple but persistent desire to talk to someone who’s actually done the job. Not someone with a quota or an AI chatbot - a transparent role model who can personally convey the nuances of the path ahead. And while education tools like podcasts, Instagram posts, books and movies are helpful, they only go so far. In the end, giving prospects the opportunity to meet their future self is the most impactful tool any elite team can provide. 

These insights have made Axial Fire pioneers in the field of Mentor Marketing and we’ve since expanded to other high performing teams including private boarding schools and state police.