US Army cancels job postings after star's arrest

The US Army has canceled two promotional videos voiced by Hollywood star Jonathan Majors, after the actor was arrested in New York on domestic violence charges. The Pentagon had hoped to use the ads to boost recruitment after missing its hiring targets last year. Majors appeared in two ads released by the army this month, entitled 'Overcoming Obstacles' and 'Pushing Tomorrow'. The former depicts pivotal battle scenes from the army's history and boasts of its ability to "transform the lives" of recruits, while the latter focuses on technologies pioneered by the military. The ads debuted during this month's March Madness college basketball tournament, as the army looks to high-school and college-aged youths to hit its goal of 65,000 new recruits in 2023.

However, the army suffered its worst recruitment year in four decades in 2022, falling 25% short of its 60,000 hiring target. The Pentagon responded to the shortfall by increasing enlistment bonuses, lowering fitness standards, and accepting people with previously off-limits medical conditions.