Peace Time: February 3, 2001

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The US Army's new "Army of One" advertising campaign has career professional soldiers scratching their heads as it makes no sense. Any military unit must be a team, and every soldier knows that a team will beat a mob any day of the week. Madison Avenue is convinced, however, that the current crop of college-age youth is so individualistic and so completely rejects authority and rules that the idea of selling them on being part of something won't play. Career NCOs are dubious, believing that the new "Army of One Recruits" will quickly drop out of basic training when they discover that the military is not a "do your own thing" operation.--Stephen V Cole