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 6 y ago
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MSG Scott McBride
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"Be all you can be" was mine..."Army of One" quite possibly the dumbest slogan we ever had...glad it's gone.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
MSG Scott McBride ABOUSTLEY IN CONCURRENCE. 'Army of One' was way out there from left field!!
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PFC Zanie Young
PFC Zanie Young
10 y
I second that, MSG Scott McBride
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SPC Christopher Smith
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3
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I think my Army motto coming in was, "The Points Don't Matter, and The Rules Are Made Up As You Go Along".
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
SPC Christopher Smith , I understand, the Army is so different now with all this paperwork jargon on promotion points.
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CW5 Sam R. Baker
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Edited >1 y ago
1987, BE ALL YOU CAN BE!

p.s. for those of you in the same bracket, there is no "THAT" in the slogan!
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SSG Gerhard S.
SSG Gerhard S.
>1 y
That may be so in the written slogan CW5 Sam R. Baker , but when they sang the song in the commercial they DID use the word "that".

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VlPEg9LCKgo
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
SSG Gerhard S., I remember that like yesterday! Something about that Motto that makes you hymn it all day!! SMDH!
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SPC Larry Buck
SPC Larry Buck
>1 y
I don't remember, scenerio.
Bush, Jr. In office, June2000.???
Unity?
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CW5 Sam R. Baker
CW5 Sam R. Baker
>1 y
Touche
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MSG S3 Operations Ncoic
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Mine was Be all you can be 1988
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
MSG (Join to see), much respect to the Soldiers of 1988, I was right behind you in 1989 brother.
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LTC Army Rotc Instructor
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When I joined in 1980- it was "Be All That You Can Be"
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SGM Paul Shenep (R)
SGM Paul Shenep (R)
>1 y
This motto David was a, "catchy phrase" played on the radio before computers and smartphones and was very effective during the oil embargo's, cold war, and late seventies. You joined knowing you could earn up to 50K in education benefits with the VEAP program. This meant the Army matched the dollars. Today, the taxpayers and leaders have been more than generous to education benefits.
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SGT Mark Sullivan
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"Be All (That) You Can Be" Thanks guys, now I have that Jingle running through my head, LOL
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PFC Zanie Young
PFC Zanie Young
10 y
You are not the only one...
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SP5 Michael Rathbun
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3
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Edited >1 y ago
Trying to fetch memories of where/when "...in the New Action Army" showed up.

In a different vein, there was the weird pseudo-Johnny Cash VA spot featuring the sung slogan "The Veterans Administration is here to serve you now."
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
SP5 Michael Rathbun, Roger that, good copy all the way!
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SGT Brian Nile
SGT Brian Nile
10 y
Nice brother
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SSG Angela Valtierra
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I joined when it was an Army of One
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PFC Zanie Young
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I was right there with you SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL in 1989! Be all you can be was the slogan of the time, and it really meant something! Why would they change it, anyway?
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
Thanks brother, as they say the sage of time. Your right that slogan motivated me so much. I told my Drill Sergeant and he said prove it, by doing front back and go's. You know how it was back then, you didn't dear cross Drill Sergeant he was everything and then some in Boot Camp. But it was my motivation Be All You Can Be. I will forever use this going forward in the civilian world brother.
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SSgt Tim Ricci
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"This is the Army" 1979 for me!
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
Any commercials from that era?
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SSgt Tim Ricci
SSgt Tim Ricci
>1 y
I am not sure!
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SGT John Files
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Be all you can be, 1997
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
SGT John Files, Nice, it motivated me to Be All You Can Be.
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SPC Supply Sergeant (S4)
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Be All You Can Be.
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SSG Tim Everett
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Be All You Can Be
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SFC Mark Merino
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3
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Here is a link for military recruiting commercials from all around the world.

http://gawker.com/5623970/military-advertising-from-around-the-world
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SFC Mark Merino
SFC Mark Merino
>1 y
The one from the Ukraine was.........different.
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SFC Mark Merino
SFC Mark Merino
>1 y
Japan wouldn't load for that reason.
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SP5 Michael Rathbun
SP5 Michael Rathbun
>1 y
Some of the potentially most interesting are now down due to copyright claims &c.

Alas.
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SPC Charles Brown
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My first active enlistment (1979-1982) was under the "Today's Army Wants to Join You" but was soon changed to "Be all that you can be". When I came back in 1999, it was the "Army of one", which I could never explain well enough for civilians to understand. To be honest I had trouble understanding it for awhile too.
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SFC Michael Jackson, MBA
SFC Michael Jackson, MBA
>1 y
"Today's Army Wants to Join You"? I've never heard it until now..interesting
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
SFC Michael Jackson, MBA, so interesting to know the past slogans of the Unites States Army. Its CAPTIVATING AND MIND BLOWING to know of the past.
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SFC Mark Merino
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I think this was the one that was airing when I joined.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-Mc1uQW8RI
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
You know we in the same era brother, it brings back memories of a lifetime, that I will cherish for ever.
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MAJ Medical Operations Officer
MAJ (Join to see)
>1 y
Joined in '03 "Fuel Your Future" (Air National Guard).  Meh.  
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CPL Rick Stasny
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Be all that you can be was the theme, but my favorite commercial was "We do more before 9 am than most people do all day". That's the one where they're on a DZ, and the soldier has a cup of coffee for the First Sergeant. Not like anything else is going on. This always made me laugh.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
CPL Rick Stasny, that commercial gave me motivation to join the Army in 1989.
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SPC(P) Jay Heenan
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3
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I joined right out of school to 'Be all that you can be'. Matter of fact, I am sure that was playing while MEPS was showing me a video of Engineers blowing sh!t up! I was done...that is what I wanted to do!
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
>1 y
I say hooohaa to that.
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SFC Mark Merino
3
3
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SPC Fred Lytge
SPC Fred Lytge
>1 y
Mine was the same a SFC Merino..."BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE"...1987
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SGT Team Leader
SGT (Join to see)
>1 y
I remember this! I was about 13 or 14. Thanks for the memory!
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SSG Maurice P.
SSG Maurice P.
>1 y
Rose garden
we dont promise you a rose garden (marines) 1969
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SSG Everett Wilson
SSG Everett Wilson
>1 y
be all you can be. when I was attached to air force and would go over to transportation, they would all shout out "the army of one."
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SGT Broadcaster
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When I joined the Reserve I came in under the "Be All That You Can Be" in Jan of 1997. Which ran from 1080 to 2001. The slogan "Army of ONE" which not many people understood ran from 2001-2006 stood for O.N.E. Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Enlisted. Hence "Army of ONE" from what I have been told. Currently the slogan is "Army Strong." http://www.army.mil/article/478/Why_Army_Strong__039_/
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LCpl Sr. Sales Associate
LCpl (Join to see)
11 y
I agree wholeheartedly, I was one of these supply people who ordered all of those uniforms, the expense associated with the uniform changes in the Army are astronomical and it's money that could be better spent. Uniforms don't change that much in the Corps. The fatigues have changed over the years but the Class A, Class B and dress uniforms have stayed the same.
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