Waste of the Day: Superman’s National Guard
Not even Superman can undo the decades of fiscal mismanagement that have plagued the U.S. military, but he did try.
In May 2013, the Army National Guard spent $10 million on a recruitment campaign tie-in with the upcoming “Man of Steel” Superman film. The expense was ill-timed. Just one month later, Congress ordered the National Guard to reduce staffing levels by 8,000 soldiers due to budget cuts.
The money would be worth $14.5 million today.
That’s according to the “Wastebook” reporting published by the late U.S. Senator Dr. Tom Coburn. For years, these reports shined a white-hot spotlight on federal frauds and taxpayer abuses.
Coburn, the legendary U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, earned the nickname "Dr. No" by stopping thousands of pork-barrel projects using the Senate rules. Projects that he couldn't stop, Coburn included in his oversight reports.
Coburn's Wastebook 2013 included 100 examples of outrageous spending worth nearly $30 billion, including the Army’s superpowered recruitment.
The Army spent $2 million developing the advertising campaign, which included two commercials helmed by “Man of Steel” director Zack Snyder. It cost another $8 million to place it in movie theaters and on social media. The campaign also included online video games and ads in magazines for high schoolers.
Actor Henry Cavill appeared shirtless in a National Guard workout video. NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s race car was repainted in Superman colors, though that cost was not included in the $10 million total because the Guard already sponsored the vehicles.
The campaign also included an online game where prospective recruits could crack military codes, pilot an experimental helicopter and fire prototype weapons. Successful players unlocked a bonus level that let them use Superman’s heat vision at a firing range.
It may be unfair to classify the campaign as a complete waste of money. Even in a year of staff reductions, the National Guard needed to find new recruits to replace retiring members. Still, perhaps the Army could have used the money from its $10 million Superman campaign to maintain its staffing levels.
Summary: The American military is the strongest in the world, but responsibly managing taxpayer funds has long been its kryptonite.
