APRIL 12, 2023 – On Nov. 16, 2022, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted trademark Reg. No. 3828128 to the United States Army to use “Soldier for Life” on apparel.
This new authority permits the Army to promote the idea of being a Soldier for Life using clothing and athletic apparel from polo and t-shirts to hats and caps, athletic uniforms, children’s clothing, sweats, windbreakers, and other apparel.
When Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno created the Soldier for Life Program in 2012, the Army applied for the trademark to use “Soldier for Life” on various items from coffee mugs and key chains to water bottles, magnets, window stickers and clothing.
USPTO granted the Army the trademark for everything except apparel because that had been awarded to a private individual in 2008.
Since then, veterans and Soldiers have bought the Soldier for Life accessories, but have kept asking when they could wear Soldier for Life gear.
Last September, the Army acquired the authority to use Soldier for Life on apparel – the first time that the Army has bought a trademark.
Why Soldier for Life is important to the Army
When Gen. Odierno created the Soldier for Life Program, he envisioned a program and slogan that could rally Army veterans for continued service to the Army and nation. The Army has approximately eight million veterans who live in every U.S. state and territory and at least 124 countries.
Gen. Odierno wanted veterans to explain how their post-service success was the result of their Army experiences and the skills they learned while serving. He hoped veterans would reach out to Americans to reduce what he perceived was a growing civil-military divide. He also wanted Army veterans to help new veterans find jobs and reduce the 515 million dollars in unemployment compensation the Army paid to the states for new veterans who couldn’t find work in 2011.
Why the Soldier for Life trademark is important to the Army
Soon, Soldiers and veterans will be able to show their service pride by wearing “Soldier for Life.” The new clothing will inevitably start conversations between veterans and many Americans who don’t understand military service. Now visibly identified as Army veterans, these Soldiers for Life will help Americans understand why the Army wants them to “Be All You Can Be.” Every time someone buys a licensed Soldier for Life item, the vendor pays the Army a royalty that goes into the Army Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Fund for the benefit of all Soldiers and their families.
What’s next for the Soldier for Life trademark on clothing
The Army is now developing a plan to roll out the Soldier for Life clothing line through the Exchange this summer.
Story by Mark Overberg
HQDA Retirement Services Office