The History of the Recruiter Journal
"Learn a trade and travel the world at no expense. However, if you’re making more than $3.50 a day at your current job, that’s better pay than the Army can offer."
That information was contained in one of the first articles ever printed in the Recruiter Journal. The year was 1919. At that time the magazine was called “U.S. Army recruiting News, The Bulletin.” Hand typed on an old manual ribbon typewriter with high stand-up keys, the text-only bulletin was issued weekly. It ran anywhere from six to 20 pages, depending on the amount of information that needed to be released.
Several issues and a few months later, a hand sketched drawing donned the cover and photos were inserted into the bulletin. One cover showed a recruiter holding two bags of money symbolizing how much money Soldiers could expect to make – anywhere from $30 to $120 a month.
Close to a decade later, the journal has changed names and styles a number of times.
For the first part of the 1950s it was called “Life of the Soldier and Airman.” Heavy on photos, it sported a colorful front and back cover and featured stories about members from both services. For more than 15 years in the 60s and 70s, the RJ was called “Recruiting and Career Counseling Journal.” As late as the early 21st century, most photos were black and white. The magazine eventually evolved into a glossy, color, 32 plus-page monthly, then bimonthly publication for several years before settling into its current format as an online magazine.
Now assembled and delivered entirely electronically, the magazine has come a long way from its manual typewriter days, but the mission has remained the same – to inform recruiters of important recruiting news and provide them with helpful information.
Name Change Timeline
1919-1923 U.S. Army Recruiting News: The Bulletin
1924-1941 Recruiting News
1942-1945 Army Life and U.S. Army Recruiting News
1951-1955 Life of the Soldier and the Airman
1948-1962 Recruiting Journal
1964-1979 Recruiting and Career Counseling Journal
1980-1984 All Volunteer
1985-Present Recruiter Journal
"Learn a trade and travel the world at no expense. However, if you’re making more than $3.50 a day at your current job, that’s better pay than the Army can offer."
That information was contained in one of the first articles ever printed in the Recruiter Journal. The year was 1919. At that time the magazine was called “U.S. Army recruiting News, The Bulletin.” Hand typed on an old manual ribbon typewriter with high stand-up keys, the text-only bulletin was issued weekly. It ran anywhere from six to 20 pages, depending on the amount of information that needed to be released.
Several issues and a few months later, a hand sketched drawing donned the cover and photos were inserted into the bulletin. One cover showed a recruiter holding two bags of money symbolizing how much money Soldiers could expect to make – anywhere from $30 to $120 a month.
Close to a decade later, the journal has changed names and styles a number of times.
For the first part of the 1950s it was called “Life of the Soldier and Airman.” Heavy on photos, it sported a colorful front and back cover and featured stories about members from both services. For more than 15 years in the 60s and 70s, the RJ was called “Recruiting and Career Counseling Journal.” As late as the early 21st century, most photos were black and white. The magazine eventually evolved into a glossy, color, 32 plus-page monthly, then bimonthly publication for several years before settling into its current format as an online magazine.
Now assembled and delivered entirely electronically, the magazine has come a long way from its manual typewriter days, but the mission has remained the same – to inform recruiters of important recruiting news and provide them with helpful information.
Name Change Timeline
1919-1923 U.S. Army Recruiting News: The Bulletin
1924-1941 Recruiting News
1942-1945 Army Life and U.S. Army Recruiting News
1951-1955 Life of the Soldier and the Airman
1948-1962 Recruiting Journal
1964-1979 Recruiting and Career Counseling Journal
1980-1984 All Volunteer
1985-Present Recruiter Journal
