Critics Say Army Guard’s New Recruiting Logo Driven by School Anti-Gun Policy
AnotherPat sends us a link and article over the Politically Correct Crew getting their panties in a wad over the Army National Guard logo, a depiction of a flint lock rifle, carried by the image of an American Citizen-Soldier. No, really. Doesn’t seem to be much of an uproar over the plow he has in the other hand- the one that needs to be pulled by mules- where’s PETA when you need them?
The Eternally Outraged Class of course claim the Army National Guard’s recent redesign of its recruiting logo is an attempt to disassociate itself from firearms when trying to convince young people to become citizen soldiers.
One wonders what these stump f***ing morons think an Army is for. Anyway, enough of me, here’s AP:
AnotherPat sends:
Critics claim the Army National Guard’s recent redesign of its recruiting logo is an attempt to disassociate itself from firearms when trying to convince young people to become citizen soldiers.While the National Guard seal features the image of a Revolutionary War Minuteman, the new recruiting logo boasts a black background with “Army National Guard” displayed over a gold star.
A recent Small Wars Journal article stated that the Guard could not use the Minuteman logo in schools anymore because it contains an image of a firearm. “It was reported that the image did not “resonate” with 16-18-year-old high school students because of lack of knowledge of the historic symbol. Concerns were also expressed that iconic figure from American history wasn’t “inclusive.” Furthermore, due to “no tolerance” policies concerning the display of images of firearms in schools, the traditional Minuteman logo could not be displayed due to inclusion of an 18th century flintlock rifle.”
Guns.com also posted a story on the issue. “Gone is the traditional flintlock rifle and armed citizen soldier, a move one publication chalked up in part to “no tolerance” policies on the display of images of firearms in schools.”
National Guard officials say the recruiting logo was changed to satisfy a mandate from Army leadership directing the Guard to alter its recruiting brand to look more like the Army’s logo, which features a prominent gold and white star on a black background above the words “U.S. Army.”
The Minuteman seal will continue to represent the Army National Guard as an organization, officials said.
When the new recruiting logo was rolled out in December, “it seems like some folks thought that that was meant to replace the traditional Minuteman seal, and it’s not,” said Master Sgt. W. Michael Houk, a spokesman for the National Guard Bureau.
The move to a new recruiting logo is “really about reaching the audience that we are trying to recruit from these days and what resonates with them,” Parmer said. “What is true is that the Minuteman, when testing it with focus groups, the image of the Minuteman didn’t resonate well; it wasn’t well understood or recognized,” he said. “The new brand aligns itself more with what the active-duty Army component is doing.”
Thanks Pat! Read the rest of the article here: Military Times
Category: Army, Guest Link, Guest Post, National Guard, SJW Idiocy, WTF?
…FWIW, the version of this I read suggested that the primary reason was that the Current Generation didn’t know what a Minuteman WAS, with the no-gun rules coming in second – not a deal-breaker yet, but getting there.
Yes. That is pointed out in the above statement and other sources found at the link that Ed provided.
“It was reported that the image did not “resonate” with 16-18-year-old high school students because of lack of knowledge of the historic symbol. Concerns were also expressed that iconic figure from American history wasn’t “inclusive.”
How sad that High School age students may not be able to relate to the Minuteman, an important figure in our American History.
Next thing you know, Uncle Sam may be deemed “Politically Incorrect” and replaced when recruiting young folks to join the Military.
What is more puzzling is that the Army National Guard is keeping the Logo, just only changing their Recruiting Logo…which IMHO, does not make sense.
I’m sure the current generation is being taught that if the old white Christian men hadn’t successfully revolted then we would all be European socialists by now. I don’t know the current public school curriculum, as we homeschool.
Kudos on the home school.
Your children will thank you when you are gone albeit many decades from now.
We homeschool our kids as well. They are both ahead of their peers academically because all the liberal indoctrination has been skipped.
“It was reported that the image did not “resonate” with 16-18-year-old high school students because of lack of knowledge of the historic symbol. Concerns were also expressed that iconic figure from American history wasn’t “inclusive.”
So WTF, are they supposed to use the image of an obese lesbian in a flannel shirt wearing steel toe boots and a flannel shirt while sporting a purple Mohawk?
Drop the obese part and I’ll switch to the guard!
The version I read indicated that another reason was that the Minuteman logo also “wasn’t inclusive”. Because, of course, there were so many transgendered muslims that served in the Revolutionary War, or something.
Thanks to Black History month they might beable to tell you who Crispus Attucks was.
The CIB/EIB will be banned next.
Perhaps the Navy’s submariner badge will also be banned for PETA.
“Navy’s submariner badge…”
Trying real hard here not to insult my bubblehead brothers here…
*grin*
It is appalling and a national tragedy that the real history, not only this country but of the world, is not longer taught in the so called public school system.
We are doomed to repeat a lot of it.
Maybe a logo of a duck lipped selphie in a unisex restroom mirror would resonate with the snowflake crowd?
GMAFB
Molly Stark – cisnormative, breeder, gun owner. I’m surprised her statue hasn’t been pulled down yet.
Nor do they probably know about Molly Pitcher, America’s first female Gun Bunny…..”Fire For Effect, Baby”!
Maybe the logo was changed because the “new” generation would think that the Guard still uses refurbished Muskets from 1776 plus the lead danger factor in making the ball ammo using molds. Buy like 1,500 gal’s of De Lead solution which would be part of the solution while handling lead. So you young future Guardsmen/women get the lead out and join up. Maybe one of those muskets were held by Washington’s first watch officer while crossing the Delaware. Belay the first watch officer remark as he didn’t cross over in a U-Boot.
Another irony as stated in the reference links is that “the Guard could not use the Minuteman logo in schools anymore because it contains an image of a firearm”….and “Due to ‘no tolerance’ policies concerning the display of images of firearms in schools, the traditional Minuteman logo could not be displayed due to inclusion of an 18th-century flintlock rifle,”.
Aren’t there video games out there that involve 16-18 years old shooting with weapons? (besides the Flintlock Rifle, Sarc).
Gee Whiz…when those young folks do join the Army National Guard, I could have sworn they will be learning to shoot and qualify with a weapon (besides the Flintlock Rifle, Sarc).
BTW, thank you, Ed, for adding the nice touch about the Plow, Mules and PETA…Good one…😉
Pat, you know you’re welcome, anytime. I see I’m forgiven for the dog hair and muddy paw prints comment on my last e-mail.
*grin*
NEC338x commented:
“I’m sure the current generation is being taught that if the old white Christian men hadn’t successfully revolted…”
Guess this course described below is being offered as an alternative at the University of Kansas for college credit toward a Degree. And oh, BTW, the prerequisite for the course is called “Introduction to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
“University of Kansas To Offer ‘Angry White Male Studies’ Course”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/kansas-university-to-offer-angry-white-male-studies-course
What’s next? Taking down the Minuteman Statute in Concord, Massachusetts as they do with Confederate Statutes? Changing “Minuteman” to “Minuteperson”?
No, I am not being silly…I am serious. There is already some students at Hofstra University near New York City who want to remove the statute of Thomas Jefferson because they say the statute represents racism and slavery.
“Thomas Jefferson Statue Must Go, Some Hofstra University Students Say”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/students-urge-hofstra-university-to-remove-thomas-jefferson-statue-over-racism
I guess these morons have never heard of what used to be called bond servants – people who were deep in debt and got it written off in return for labor for XX years. When they came to America, many of them just ran away. The majority of them were WHITE people.
It would be nice if the facts in history were taught instead of personal politics.
Recorded in my family history is an incident when participating in the Underground Railroad, of a runaway slave who was a mysterious white boy who never spoke.
I’ve wondered if that “mysterious white boy who never spoke”, may have been a kidnapped Scottish orphan, and he only spoke Gaelic?
Also, when researching Kentucky Census for 1870, I found an Irish boy living with a Negro family.
Might they have all been either freed slaves or runaway slaves?
Some of my Quaker ancestors in North Carolina had slaves and/or served in the Confederate Army, while other Quaker ancestors in Indiana operated the Underground Railroad and/or served in the Union Army.
I’m proud of all of them, and will apologize for nothing.
I grew up in the Boston area.
The “minute men” were an important part of elementary school study.
The statue was a daytrip.
I know the Concord bridge. I have stood on it.
Today’s Public Schools poo poo all of that.
We have progressed so far that those statues are in the way of settling our differences.
We will be going back to the sword, soon.
an
That history walk is brutal in the summer.
Back in ’62 a group of us Scouts from Ft Devens hiked to Acton and then hiked the Isaac Davis trail as part of the Patriots Day celebration. Still have of certificate for that tucked away somewhere in the house.
It’s too bad inter-stellar travel is not possible for us. I think a good many of us in this country would seriously consider taking our tools, our knowledge, our constitution as originally written, and, yes, our guns, to strike out for fresh pastures, leaving many of this generation to figure out stuff on their own.
Maybe this would be a good theme for a sci-fi novel or movie. You could call it “Atlas Left”.
you know, Atlas Shrugged predicted all of this 75 years ago.
Hard times make hard men
Hard men make good times
Good times make weak men
Weak men make hard times
It’s more likely this bunch of slacker hippies will leave first and get lost on their way to Whereverland.
We can just watch them go and wave ‘bye-bye’ and ignore them when they call for help because they ran in to bugs the size of toaster and there are no bathrooms available.
Loading and Firing a Musket in 1776…Hoo-Ahh…
That traditional National Guard seal is a hijacked symbol.
Your true contemporary “Minutemen” are the volunteers in the State Guard.
The National Guard is merely another component of the United States Army, while the State Guard belongs only to their state.
I know, for I served in all three entities, i.e., the regular United States Army, the Utah National Guard, and the Utah State Guard.
When serving in the Utah State Guard, I was required to furnish my own uniform, weapons, field gear, rations, and ammunition, and required to store them in my vehicle, for immediate response.
Utah State Guard members received training from FEMA and the United States Army, and trained in Utah National Guard facilities.
A number of states do not have a state guard and a number of the states that do have a state guard, the guard is not armed.
“Tyranny! State Guard! Do something!”
“I am a state -monitor-, not a guard. No guns, see?
I just tell you when tyranny happens. ….
… Tyranny is happening.”
(Aghast looks)
This post is a continuance of accuracy errors. Both it and the Military.com piece are based on the single strident opinion of Franklin C. Annis Ph.D who was writing for The Small Wars Journal. The headline on Annis’ original post also reflects his main point better than the anti-gun-grabber hysteria of the one used by Military.com
Annis uses no attribution in making the assertion that the Army decided to dump the old National Guard logo because of current school policies. Nor does he cite any specific case where the minuteman’s flintlock was specifically banned from a school property.
Somehow, although it tried to put lipstick on the rewrite pig of Annis’ editorial with a shrieking headline, Military.com did manage to talk to the Army and get the real reason the logo was changed:
Personally, I’m much less concerned about the Army changing its NG logo than I am about George Washington University wanting to change it’s school mascot:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/george-washington-university-students-push-to-do-away-with-extremely-offensive-colonials-nickname
Fun fact: The original minuteman logo is based on a statue by Daniel Chester French which now stands in Concord, Massachusetts. It was made to celebrate the 1875 centennial of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
Thank You, Perry for your honest feedback.
That is why the title to this post has “Critics Say…” and within the article, points out “Critics claim…”
According to Military.Com, the Army National Guard “declined to address questions about reported concerns regarding firearms imagery”.
Futhermore, the Army National Guard stated that one of the reasons for the change in the Recruiting Logo was “Research shows that the public, and even active duty service members, are often unsure of the Army National Guard’s relationship to the U.S. Army… The rebrand makes it clear that the Army National Guard is part of the Army.”
That is the part that I think is puzzling. What does that have to do with recruiting young folks, especially those of high school age, to join the Army National Guard? Why just change the Recruiting Logo? Why not change the entire Army National Guard Logo? After all, the Army National Guard did state ” We were given the mandate to align our marketing with the total Army…”
“Mandate?” Interesting…by whom?
Still feel the Army National Guard Leadership may have made the change because of the past school-shootings….they have recruiting goals, just as the Active Army and did not want to lose High School age students to the other Sister Services.
Just my 2 pennies.
As always, appreciate and respect your viewpoint.
Settle down, everyone. The SWJ article is a glorified FB rant with little to no basis in fact.
I have been involved in Army recruiting and marketing over the last several months, and learned a few things.
First and foremost, when it comes to marketing you have to establish a goal (in Strategic planning parlance, your Ends). Is the goal to make currently serving Soldiers and veterans feel good about the Army, or is it to entice the right kind of talent to join the Army?
If it’s the latter, you have to accept the fact that you are going after Gen Z kids that look give you 8 seconds of their time before they move on Tom something Elise. In those 8 seconds, you have to compel them to do a bit more research on their own, and they wanna see user generated content- testimonials, videos, blog posts. They don’t read email, they don’t read long stories (I.e, anything over a few words), and they think it’s weird if someone calls or texts them, so they screen their calls.
In other words, if the symbol doesn’t resonate, they’re going to keep swiping left.
This is a marketing decision. Keep in mind that numbers wise, there are no comparisons to the other services. Air Force r cruising is almost a walk in business, and the Marines are basically a boutique operation compared to the Army. The Active Army goal for 2018 was something like 70,000 new recruits (and an 85% retention goal, if memory serves). The Guard missed their 2018 mission of 44k new Soldiers by about 9K. That’s a big deal.
Thank You, Reddevil for sharing and for providing your feedback based on your experience in Army recruiting and marketing.
Hate to say this since I am Army, but I think the “new” Army National Guard recruiting logo is “Boring”…but then again, I no longer fall in the 16-18 year old range..
Still believe that somehow, that recruiting logo change did come about because of the “negativity” of the school shootings, just as I will always believe that guns don’t kill people…people kill people…
Appreciate what you wrote. Always good to have other folks’ opinions on any topic.
I did recruiting for two years. My first year I got there at the end of the year to replace a commander getting relieved. The goal for that year was 100K. Nobody was even close. That was not long after they adopted the idiotic Army of One slogan.
Could not help but notice that the new ANG symbol thing is a lot like the Army one. A gold star on a black field. The Army paid millions for that. Millions for marketing really does not help when that is the result and you put a fat body like Miley in front of troops.
https://www.defensenews.com/land/2018/01/17/army-chief-future-of-us-troops-in-iraq-tbd-as-isis-crumbles/
Surely we could do better?
I have seen a few Army commercials lately that look like a really cool “come play our game” ad. One looked really good.
Wildly off topic: Any recent changes might be due to the fact that in November the Army awarded a new $4 Billion and 10 year advertising contract to Omnicom whose lead agency will be the Chicago office of Doyle, Dane and Bernbach. Those old enough might remember the “Think Small” ads that were part of a DDB print campaign for Volkswagen back in the ’60s. Their Volkswagen “Snow Plow” spot for television is also widely considered a classic.
This is exactly why we homeschool. For the concept of the Minutemen not to be taught ICW the American Revolution, is an outright fraud upon the education system. I knew government schools weren’t really teaching history and civics anymore……but I didn’t know it had gotten this bad.
It was reported that the image did not “resonate” with 16-18-year-old high school students because of lack of knowledge of the historic symbol.
And therein my friends lies the entirety of the problem with this issue. They are too busy learning the stupid techniques behind common core math to learn how their nation came to be. What the average family was willing to sacrifice to be free.
You can’t get the average family to put their fucking phones down at dinner these days. My wife and I are astonished at the number of times we are out to eat and the family at the next table isn’t talking at all they are all looking at their phones and half heartedly eating their meals.