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 >1 y ago
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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
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10 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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SFC Assistant Operations Sergeant
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Be all you can be!! 1994
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SFC Michael Jackson, MBA
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I may have joined during the "Army Strong" era, but seeing the commercials as a kid with "Be all you can be" was what influenced me to join.

Damn it. I should've been an adult during the 90s.
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
10 y
Sir, its ok, you got your own path to travel, who knows what the motto of the future holds. Glad to know " Be All You Can Be in the Army inspires you.

SFC William Farrell PO1 William "Chip" Nagel LTC Stephen F.] SGT Robert George SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" Thomas Maj Marty Hogan MSG Andrew White SGT (Join to see) SFC Dave Beran SGT Philip Roncari SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SSG Derrick L. Lewis MBA, C-HRM SP5 Michael Rathbun SGT Michael Thorin SFC Shirley Whitfield SSG Diane R. COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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1SG Frank Rocha
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Edited 10 y ago
"BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE"

I still have the shirt the career counselor gave me when I joined (that was as close to a bonus as I got at that time). It was 3 sizes too big ( I was really skinny, 6'0" and 127lbs) at the time but I grew into it eventually. On the back it said "first jump army, second jump college" with a depiction of an airborne parachute drop.

We should never have stopped using that slogan.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
10 y
AWESOME, when we stoped, using it, it seems like everything abrubtly changed. Army of One came; the rest is history as they say!
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SSG Melvin Powe
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For me it was" Be All That You can be " 1984 Fort Ord Ca, Lightfighter!
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
10 y
1992-1992, I was stationed at Fort Ord, Ca with 2/62 ADA.
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MSG Timothy Pender
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1984 - Be all you can be!
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
10 y
Oh yea, the best catch phase ever!!
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SFC Mark Merino
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Not to take anything away from those who like it, but I'm for moving on to the next motto.
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MSgt Chris Adams
MSgt Chris Adams
10 y
Not Army, but joined AF under "Aim High" in 1991.
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SFC Mark Merino
SFC Mark Merino
10 y
What are they using now?
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
10 y
"Aim High" was awesome too!
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MSgt Chris Adams
MSgt Chris Adams
10 y
We went through a big contest for one. I think it is "No One Comes Close". There were a couple lame ones that I'm glad I can't remember that didn't make it.
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MSG Brian Breaker
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I use to love the "Be All You Can Be" where the commercials I grew up with and loved. We use to reinact the Airborne commercial when the Soldier's says "Good Morning 1SG!" and the 1SG just grunts. We even would make our own when we had downtime during FTX's Still my favorite motto.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
10 y
Appreciate the memories.. I love that Motto. Its what MOTIVATES ME EVERY DAY!
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SSG Aircraft Powertrain Repairer
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I was "Be All You Can Be" during basic by the time i was ready to report I saw the transition to the Army of O.N.E. (Officers, NonCommissioned Officers, Enlisted), which then transcended to Army Strong. Like slogans we are in a military era of change that is not very longlived...slogans, uniforms, personnel, bases, equipment. In 14yrs of combat while serving this country I have seen three slogans, now three pt uniforms, two sets of dress uniforms, and now upcoming a fatigues replacement that made five different sets of uniforms for me(BDU's, DCU's, ACU's, OCP's, and Scorpions pending final approval)....the ridiculous part is everyone knows as leadership evolves and changes even the stuff thats not broke certain leadership envision a change that suits their personal perception of what we are supposed to be. To elaborate allot of future retirees have their hands out waiting for approval contracts to line their own pockets while subordinate members at lowest levels are cursed with the costs of these rapidly approved changes while personal supply clerks just order superiors the required uniforms and equipment free of charge(tax payers expense). Can we stick to one slogan, uniform, and trainig method for more than a few years? As long as the powers that be keep changing it I beleive not; praying someone of intelligence will recognize in a budget strained military the next best thing is not new propaganda and slogans or unecessary uniform changes in garrison. Hope is all we can ask for in the newer faster downsized military.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
10 y
Awesome post I agree totally!!
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SFC Jopes Action Officer
SFC (Join to see)
10 y
Mine was Be All You Can Be in 1995, well 1994 if you count the Delayed Entry Program. But I think they need to go back to that.
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SFC Movement Nco
SFC (Join to see)
10 y
be all you can be covered 20 years o a lot of people fell up under it lol. but I am army of one
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LTC Doug McLiverty
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"Join the people, who've joined the Army. You can start building your tomorrows today."
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
10 y
Wow.. is it any commerials out there Sir?
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