US Army reboots 1980s slogan ‘be all you can be’ amid worst recruitment crisis in DECADES – after Biden’s calamitous Afghan withdrawal put off new recruits
- The campaign ran often on television, radio and billboards from 1980 to 2001
- Two ads narrated by actor Jonathan Majors will relaunch the slogan
- US Army has seen worst recruiting crisis in decades under Biden administration
The United States Army is bringing back their famous ‘Be All You Can Be’ ad campaign in response to what’s been called the worst recruitment crisis in decades.
The number of veterans, service members and their spouses who recommend a career in uniform has dropped sharply these past two years, with hunger, hardship, woke culture and the chaotic 2021 end to the war in Afghanistan being blamed for a recruitment crisis, according to the Military Family Advisory Network.
The Armed Forces are bringing back the campaign, which ran often on television, radio and billboards from 1980 to 2001.
Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston made the announcement during a much-anticipated launch event at the National Press Club Tuesday.
Two new ads have debuted, narrated by and starring Creed III and Ant-Man actor Jonathan Majors called ‘Overcoming Obstacles’ and ‘Pushing Tomorrow.’
The United States Army is bringing back their famous ‘Be All You Can Be’ ad campaign in response to what’s been called the worst recruitment crisis in decades
‘At a time when political, economic and social factors are changing how young Americans view the world, the new Army brand illustrates how service in the Army is grounded in passion and purpose,’ said Wormuth.
‘Serving our nation is a calling, and one that is fundamentally hopeful. We want a new generation of Americans to see the Army as a pathway to the lives and careers they want to achieve.’
The ads will be hard launched during college basketball’s March Madness tournament.
Research from the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) found that the number of military personnel who would advise others to enlist sank nearly 12 points to 62.9 percent between 2019 and 2021.
Those surveyed complained of being cash-strapped and even going hungry.
Others warned the U.S. military was becoming another casualty of the culture wars, with woke criticism of the armed forces deterring new recruits.
David Maxwell, a 30-year Army special forces veteran, said the U.S. military was struggling to enlist newcomers when it needed to build up manpower for a potential confrontation with heavyweight foes like Russia or China.
‘The military is a family business, and if military families are telling their children not to sign up, that sends a powerful message to everyone else, including people who are patriotic and motivated,’ Maxwell told DailyMail.com.
The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 has been blamed in part for the Army’s recruiting crisis
The ads will be hard launched during college basketball’s March Madness tournament
Actor Jonathan Majors (pictured) from Ant-Man and Creed III narrates and stars in the new advertisements
The Armed Forces are bringing back the campaign, which ran often on television, radio and billboards from 1980 to 2001
Army Gen. Joseph Martin spoke this week spoke of ‘unprecedented challenges’ in bringing in recruits, leading to a shortfall of some 10,000 soldiers this year and bigger problems down the road. Pictured: Army recruiters at a career fair in Michigan
Would-be recruits were put off by President Joe Biden’s chaotic military exit from Afghanistan in August 2021 and a perception that ‘woke culture’ had left the armed forces an inhospitable place to serve, said Maxwell.
‘People are worried about the potential for large-scale combat operations to defend our country, our allies and our way of life in a war with Russia, China, Iran or North Korea,’ said Maxwell, now a think tank expert.
‘They are not the kind of wars we’ve fought over the past two decades.’
The MFAN survey of 8,638 service people, veterans and their spouses in the US and deployed overseas, carried out late last year, revealed worrying numbers in financial strife despite their government paychecks.
A history of US Army slogans
1917: The famous poster of Uncle Sam pointing, alongside the catchphrase ‘I want YOU’
1950s through 1971: The Army used two slogans, ‘Choice, Not Chance’ and ‘Modern Army Green’
1971 to 1980: ‘Today’s Army Wants You’ and Today’s Army Wants to Join You’
1980 to 2001: ‘Be All You Can Be’
2001 to 2006: ‘Army of ONE’
2006 to 2018: ‘Army Strong’
2018 to 2023: ‘Warriors Wanted’ and ‘What’s Your Warrior’
2023: ‘Be All You Can Be’
Three quarters were in debt, more than half could not save, 61 percent had trouble paying rent and a troublesome 17 percent said they were so cash-strapped they could not always put enough food on the table.
Those surveyed typically had annual household incomes of $25,000 to $75,000.
One spouse of a serving Army member, who was not named in the study, said the lack of healthcare was ‘breaking military families’. Another said they felt ‘like a failure having to rely on others to help us feed our family’.
Richard Hudson, the Republican congressman for Fort Bragg, North Carolina, one of the world’s largest military installations, spoke of the ‘real challenges facing too many families’ in a video accompanying the report this week.
One in six service people in his district faced food insecurity — well above the national average, he said.
‘Clearly we must do better for our troops and veterans,’ he said.
The study comes amid deepening fears of a troop shortage in the world’s top military.
Army Gen. Joseph Martin, vice chief of staff for the Army, this week spoke of ‘unprecedented challenges’ in getting recruits, leading to a shortfall of some 10,000 soldiers this year and bigger problems down the road.
The Army projects it will have a total force of 466,400 this year, down from the expected 476,000. By the end of 2023, the number could fall further to between 445,000 and 452,000 soldiers, depending on how well recruiting and retention go.
Addressing a House Armed Services subcommittee, Gen. Martin blamed the ’post-Covid-19 environment and labor market, but also competition with private companies that have changed their incentives over time’.
Army Gen. Jack Keane this week told Fox News of the worst recruitment crisis since the 1970s, when the government abolished the draft and switched to an all-volunteer force at the end of the Vietnam War.
The House last week passed an $840 billion policy bill that would grant 4.6 percent pay raises to military personnel. It features requirements for tackling white supremacist and neo-Nazi activity in the forces, over objections from Republicans.
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