Life Advice From the Armed Forces

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Established in 1977 by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the American Forces Information Service (AFIS) published news about and for the United States military, charged with sharing “information that is intended to keep [Department of Defense] military and civilian personnel and their family members well informed on matters concerning national defense, readiness, military benefits, American and military heritage, and issues affecting their own morale and well-being.” Active until 2008, the AFIS ran several information services, including the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service and the Armed Forces Press and Publications Service. It also published magazines, pamphlets, and billboards—a.k.a. posters—meant to remind military personnel and their families of regulations, best practices, and potential threats (domestic and foreign).

More than 100 of these AFIS billboards have been preserved in the M. Louis Salmon Library Government Documents Collection at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. Now available via JSTOR, the billboard collection offers a view into the mindset of US military information services in the 1980s and ’90s.

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Some of the billboards offer exactly the kind of advice you’d think you’d read on a military poster: don’t spill state secrets, don’t forget to vote, and always expect the unexpected. And perhaps not surprisingly, many reveal a preoccupation with health and fitness. Several billboards demonstrate the dangers of becoming an American “couch potato,” while others advise us to steer clear of bacon burgers and beer. And if you don’t find that compelling advice, still other posters deliver the same message in a different manner: if you skip the TV and the burger, you can become a beefcake yourself. Other billboards offer advice on losing a “spare tire,” dealing with hypertension, monitoring your cholesterol levels, and deciphering the food pyramid. Still others testify to the military’s ongoing concern with sunburn and skin cancer (perhaps on shore leave?). Speaking of shore leave, you might also want to be wary of STDs, but not so wary that you’re controlled by fear.

Poster: "Of course we can talk freely here; You could always be within earshot of compromising the nations security. Safegaurd classified information." — June 1990. Click on the image to take a closer look.

poster: "Armed Forces Voter Week Begins Aug. 27; Oh, My Vote Won't Mean Much!; I don't have time to study the issues.; Why vote? It's already decided!; What's Your Excuse?" — August 1990. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: "Expect the Unexpected; A Terrorist Strike Won't Be Announced" — February 1994. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: "The Anser Is: Wrestling Over the Remote Control.; And the Question: How do potatoes get their exercise?" — August 1994. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: "Warning!; Prolonged Use Can Be Dangerous To Your Health" — March 1996. Click on the image to take a closer look.

"For Lunch? Oh, you know..."The Usual."; The meal may not be well-rounded, but you soon will be." — March 1995. Click on the image to take a closer look.

"Warning! Exercise can cause visible side effects.*" — March 1988. Click on the image to take a closer look.

"Fry Now Pay Later!; Going For The Bronze Today Could Mean Losing To Cancer Tomorrow" — August 1995. Click on the image to take a closer look.

"AIDS Syphillis Gonorrhea Genital Warts Chlamydia Hepatitis B Herpes; The wounds...that love's keen arrows make." — March 1990. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: "Will the Fear of AIDS make you eat alone?" — November 1988. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Several of the posters in the collection reveal the stress and fractures in military life in the 1980s and ’90s. We’re encouraged to deal with our credit card debt, our gambling addiction, and our attitude problem. Quit smoking. Don’t drink and drive. Wear your seat belt. Don’t be embarrassed to talk to someone about your mental health.

Poster: "Winter vacation now; When plunging into holiday spending, don't get in over your head." — December 1994. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: ""Gambling; It's Just a Game...Until it gets out of hand... ." — July 1996. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: "Too Hardheaded to wear a bicycle helmet?; You might prove to be a real...Softie!" — April 1998. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: "It's a hard habit to break; Feed the Bear; A lot of encouragement...and maybe a little gum." — November 1998. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: "A DWI Conviction Can Bring a Social Life to a Screeching Halt...But It's a Great Way to Save Lives" — February 1993. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: "Make this your last belt for the road" — February 1988. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: "You May Think You're in So Deep There's No Way Out...But, a lot of people willing ot lend a hand-family, friends, chaplain and counselors. WIth help, you can climb back to the top." — July 1990. Click on the image to take a closer look.

"Butt Out; Good Advise For Those Who Want To Quit." — November 1997. Click on the image to take a closer look.

The Department of Defense encouraged members of the armed forces to get to know their neighbors and learn about their history and heritage. Several AFIS billboards recognize the roles of Hispanic Americans, Black Americans, and Asian Americans in the US military. An American eagle, talons out to pounce on prey, compellingly highlights the contributions of Native Americans. A billboard for Women’s History Month celebrates Army surgeon Dr. Mary Walker, Air Force F-15 fighter pilot 1^st Lt. Jeannie Flynn, and US Navy Commodore Grace M. Hopper.

Poster: "Hispanic Heritage Month; Sept. 15-Oct. 15; Hispanic-Americans have distinguished themselves "above and beyond the call of duty"...." — September 1990. Click on the image to take a closer look.

"Black History Month; February 1991" — February 1991. Click on the image to take a closer look.

"DoD Salutes Native American Heritage Month; Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together, all things connect. " — November 1998. Click on the image to take a closer look.

"Department of Defense Celebrates; March 1997; Women's History Month" — April 1997. Click on the image to take a closer look.

The Department of Defense frequently celebrated women in the military via the AFIS poster, delivering a strong message about sexual harassment: don’t be a chauvinist pig, and please be a whistle-blower if you meet one on the job. Still other posters remind everyone to use respectful language when referring to women.

"Women in the Military - A Proud Heritage." — June 1993. Click on the image to take a closer look.

"Which picture doesn't belong?; You're right. The sexist pig is still alive. If you find yourself in its path, squel all the way up the chain of command." — June 1988. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: "Cool Names For Women?; The Cold Facts: They're Not" — February 1993. Click on the image to take a closer look.

Poster: ""Gosh, but you've got a Beautiful Figure."; Time has run out on sexual harassment." — July 1997. Click on the image to take a closer look.

The above represent just a small selection of the posters preserved and digitized by The University of Alabama at Huntsville. Want to see more? Visit the Defense Billboards collection here at JSTOR—and check out the university’s other JSTOR collections as well. They’re open and available to all!

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