Posted on Aug 16, 2014
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
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2006 to present

"Army Strong" is the recruiting slogan that is used currently by the United States Army. The composer of the song used in the Army Strong television commercials is Mark Isham.[3]

2001 to 2006
A humvee wrapped with the slogan in April 2006
"Army of One" was a relatively short-lived recruiting slogan. It replaced the popular "Be All You Can Be" and was replaced in 2006 by the new slogan "Army Strong".[4]The Army of One slogan was meant to mean as described Sun Tzu's Art of War in Chapter VI Weak Points and Strong, that you are only as strong as your weakest link,if the enlisted soldiers are not trained by the non commissioned officers,because the officer are not with troops and checkout what they need,a Army is very weak. The reason for the replacement is believed to be[by whom?] that the slogan "Army of One" is contrary to the idea of teamwork.[citation needed] It is unknown whether this slogan was taken directly from the poster for the 1976 Clint Eastwood film The Outlaw Josey Wales, which had "An Army of One" under a drawing of the Josey Wales character. The "One" in the slogan was an acronym, standing for Officers, Non-Commissioned, and Enlisted,[citation needed] the three types of Soldiers in the US Army.

1980 to 2001

Be All (That) You Can Be was the recruiting slogan of the United States Army for over twenty years.[5] This popular slogan was created by Earl Carter while at the advertising firm N. W. Ayer & Son. He was awarded the Outstanding Civilian Service Award for his efforts.[6] In his autobiography Soul of It All, Michael Bolton claims to have sung the jingle in the early 1980s.[7]

1971 to 1980

"Today's Army Wants to Join You" was a recruiting slogan from the 1971 Volunteer Army (Project VOLAR) campaign, which was introduced as the country prepared to transition to an all-volunteer military. When N. W. Ayer & Son, who were engaged by the US Army, believed they felt the army said "Today's Army is changing; we want to meet you half way", the firm came up with that slogan. General William Westmoreland asked "Do we have to ask it that way?" but agreed to the campaign. The slogan was replaced by "Join the People Who've Joined the Army" in 1973, which later evolved into "This is the Army."[8]

Slogan was written in 1971 by Ted Regan Jr., Executive Vice President and Executive Creative Director of N.W. Ayer, the Army's ad agency. Regan also wrote the follow up slogan, "Join the people who've joined the Army."

Circa 1950s–1971
"Look Sharp, Be Sharp, Go Army!"was a recruiting slogan in the 1950s and 1960s. The Big Picture,[disambiguation needed] public announcements on broadcast television, and highway roadway signs advertised the slogan during a time of a national draft of young men 18 to 34 years of age. The advantage of volunteering for Service, vice being drafted, was choosing the career field you wanted to serve and/or first unit or location of assignment.

World War I
"I Want YOU for US Army" featured on a poster of Uncle Sam painted by James Montgomery Flagg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slogans_of_the_United_States_Army

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-Mc1uQW8RI
Edited 5 y ago
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GySgt Infantry Unit Leader
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Sorry too easy, couldn't resist.
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PFC Zanie Young
PFC Zanie Young
>1 y
Wahaha!
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SFC Jim H.
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My slogan in 1969 started out with "SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM ORDER TO REPORT FOR INDUCTION".
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SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
6 y
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL - Thank you for the mention brother.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL “Navy. It's Not Just A Job, It's An Adventure”.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
7 y
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
7 y
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
7 y
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SPC Larry Buck
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That's a beautiful historical background, thanks for going to to length you did.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
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LTC David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU®
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Be All That You Can Be! This has a deeper meaning than people realize. It goes back to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs that you can only be all you can be once you hit self-actualization. I do remember watching "In Living Color" where they sang the song "Be all that you can be, have a ugly wife and a terrible life in the Army!" I still laugh when I hear it in my head to this day.

While at West Point we moved to the slogan "The Army of One." O - Officers, N - Noncoms, E - Enlisted. But I felt this was contrary to the idea of teamwork since the first commercial i saw had everyone running one way, and this one soldier running the other. I heard from Recruiters that once this slogan came out it, the people who joined were harder to work with since they had the mindset it was an Army all about them.

I really like Army Strong, it was surprising to hear that it cost millions to come up with it, but I guess if you need to the do the market research that is the case.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
LTC David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU®, thanks for the historical approach, well defined and eloquently expressed!
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SGT Graduate Student
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Young whippersnapper here.
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CPT Rn Care Coordinator
CPT (Join to see)
9 y
Me too! Maybe not the "young" part. My son took his Oath of Enlistement 2 weeks after I took my oath in January. The recruiters showered us both with Army Strong items.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
9 y
SGT (Join to see), the Future of Army Strong is the present. Appreciate your service.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
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Did they have slogans in 60s? Thought it was just your draft number has been selected, report to...........
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
6 y
Well thanks. Just being my sarcastic self, but guessing slogans didn't originate until the all volunteer force. Thank you for your service as well.
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SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
6 y
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL - Great share, and thank you for the mention.
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CSM Charles Hayden
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I just missed, "Uncle Sam Needs You". SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
8 y
CSM Charles Hayden wow, that's going back there(LOL)! Got it!
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COL Charles Williams
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Edited 9 y ago
Be all you can be!

"Good morning 1SG!"

We had some goofy commercials.
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SSG Eddye Royal
SSG Eddye Royal
9 y
Col, It might have been goofy; but I went in 1985 like that BE all You can Be. I dont Think the new soldiers, could stand up to that level, and we be friends with each other and still get the job done.
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COL Charles Williams
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1SG Signal Support Systems Specialist
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I swore in on Dec 10, 1999 "Be All You Can Be".
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
Thanks, as you know times were different back then
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