What phrase did the U.S. Army use in its 1981 campaign to encourage young people to enlist?

The U.S. Army used “Be All You Can Be” in its 1981 recruiting campaign to encourage enlistment.

The slogan was created by advertising executive E. N. J. Carter and agency N. W. Ayer. It presented military service as a route to education, personal development, and achievement rather than focusing only on combat. The campaign became closely associated with Army recruitment during the 1980s and 1990s.

The phrase is sometimes confused with “Be the Best You Can Be,” a similar motivational expression used in other contexts. The Army’s wording was specifically “Be All You Can Be,” emphasizing fulfillment of one’s potential. In 2023, the Army introduced “Be All You Can Be” again as a recruiting slogan after using several different taglines in the intervening years.