A US Army soldier went viral on TikTok for making videos mocking 'Gen Zs on the battlefield' — and now he wants to be an influencer

Amanda Goh
·3 min read
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  • Anthony Gonzales, a US Army soldier, went viral on TikTok for making videos mocking "Gen Z on the battlefield."

  • Now, the 21-year-old wants to give up his military career to be an influencer, per The New York Post.

  • "I feel like I was born to be a star," Gonzales told The Post.

A US Army soldier went viral on TikTok for making videos mocking "Gen Zs in the military" — and now, he wants to become an influencer.

"I would love to be an influencer. I would love to just keep making videos and, like, I would love to model, also," the 21-year-old Anthony Gonzales told The New York Post.

According to The Post, Gonzales is a petroleum supply specialist at US National Guard Fort Chaffee Regional Training Center in Arkansas.

The Gen Z soldier first blew up on TikTok in August 2021 when the first video in his "Gen Z in the battlefield" series went viral.

@arianagonzoo

it’s me, i’m ✨gen z✨ 😭

♬ original sound - gonzo

In the 21-second compilation video, Gonzales — dressed in tactical gear — pokes fun at Gen Z stereotypes by mocking the way that they act and speak in his military-inspired skits.

"I'm in the ghetto, ra-ta-ta-ta," Gonzales said in the video, while pretending to film himself by holding up a phone as gunshots can be heard in the background.

In another clip in the same video, he dances while chanting "Renegade, renegade, renegade... Oh grenade," referring to the popular TikTok dance.

The TikTok video, captioned "It's me, I'm Gen Z," has since amassed over 22.5 million views and 5.1 million likes.

Another TikTok video from his "Gen Z in the battlefield" series has already gained 7.1 million views and 1.3 million views since it was uploaded in May.

@arianagonzoo

serving 🇺🇸 while serving 💅🏼🫡

♬ original sound - gonzo

 

Captioned "serving while serving," with a US Flag emoji and the painted fingernails emoji, Gonzales can be seen in the video acting out the role of a dramatic Gen Z while out on the field.

"Girl, guess what? I just got kidnapped. I'm calling you through my Apple Watch," he says in the clip.

"Getting attacked? Oh, that's not really my thing, you know what I'm saying? Hey, Siri, call an Uber," Gonzales continues in the video.

Although Gonzales told The Post that he had initially planned to pursue a career in the military, he has now set his sights on becoming an influencer after his Army contract ends in two years.

"Although I didn't anticipate gaining a lot of followers and views and stuff like that, I feel like I was meant for it, to be honest, and I have, still, so much more potential," Gonzales told The Post.

According to The Post, Gonzales makes up to $1,500 for each TikTok video he uploads. He currently has over 367,700 followers on his TikTok channel — but it's just the beginning.

"I feel like I was born to be a star," Gonzales told The Post.

Gonzales and the US Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent by Insider outside of regular working hours.

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