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 Richard H.
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I joined the Marines first. They were "looking for a few good men with the metal to be marines" (coolest TV commercials EVER, by the way) When I joined the second time, the Army was "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
Wow,, that was a magnificent commerical.. good to hear!
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SSG Drill Sergeant
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Army Strong!!! Sounds better saying it than writing it
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MSG Sean Hendricks
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Joined in 1986 with "Be All You Can Be". Still the Best, in my opinion...
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
10 y
PFC Zanie Young, glad we came into together in the same era brother.
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SGT Brian Nile
SGT Brian Nile
9 y
SFC (Join to see) - be all u can be
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SGT Brian Nile
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PFC Zanie Young
PFC Zanie Young
9 y
Hooah! Sergeant!
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MAJ Company Commander
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This has not been used, but is the motto that I use for the Army. "Be the examplar".
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
10 y
Who knows, it might catch on, you got my vote on that one.
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1SG Company First Sergeant
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I too joined under the "Be All that you can be" slogan. I joined in 1999 and that was the slogan I remember even as a kid on the TV commercials.
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Army of One (2003)
SSG Platoon Sergeat
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I joined in 2011....Theres Strong, Then theres Army Strong.
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SFC Wallace Lopez
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1988 "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
I like that Motto "Be All You Can Be" it gets me fired up!!
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SGT 94 E Radio Comsec Repairer
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SFC Davis,

I'm glad you explained the "Army of One" theme. When I first heard that motto, I pictured Rambo.

When I joined it was Army Strong, our current motto. I think the current one is the best out of all the ones you mentioned. The worst has got to be, "This is the Army." Worst motto ever.
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SSG Jeffrey Spencer
SSG Jeffrey Spencer
10 y
Never liked the Army of One motto.  Completely dissed the teamwork needed to be successful.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
10 y
I agree, especialy fighting the GWOT, SMDH, it took a Nation not a "Army of One " to fight the terroism of America in my opinion
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SPC Charles Brown
SPC Charles Brown
10 y
The Army of One motto left out the Warrant Officers corps. I see this as a slight against them.
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SGT 94 E Radio Comsec Repairer
SGT (Join to see)
10 y
SPC Charles Brown, Warrant Officers are Officers, so they weren't left out.
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CPT Phil Bronner
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Back when I joined....it was "Look Sharp, Be Sharp, Go Army!"....that was 50 years ago!
My 2nd entrance in the Army...it was "Today's Army Wants to Join YOU!"
My 3rd entrance in the Army (my Direct Commission) was "Be All That You Can Be!"
After that...I was sloganed out! LOL
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