Key Takeaways:
- The Army celebrates its birthday each year on June 14.
- The U.S. Army was formed in 1775 when the Continental Congress authorized the enlistment of riflemen to serve for a period of one year.
- The Army is the oldest uniformed service in the nation.
- Celebrating the Army’s birthday unites past and present.
- Flag Day is celebrated on the same day.
- Author Travis Burchett, a Military Alliance Manager at the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC), reflects on the importance of the Army’s Birthday and shares his connection and his family’s history with the military, tracing its lineage to immigrants arriving in Virginia in 1607.
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The Formation of the United States Army
Each year, the United States Army pauses to celebrate its birthday on June 14, the original date in 1775 when the Continental Congress authorized the enlistment of riflemen to serve for a period of one year. These riflemen comprised the first formal units of the Continental Army. Realizing the need to supply and pay these volunteers, the Quartermaster Corps and Finance Corps were created shortly afterward.
Creating an Army from scratch was no small task, and while some officers had prior experience with British forces, these first units were largely untrained, not well led, and ill-disciplined.
To instill discipline, the Continental Army employed Prussian immigrant Baron Friedrich von Steuben to serve as the Inspector General of the force and to teach drill to these units.
Drill, the precision movement of troops within a space, was especially critical for the type of warfare European armies fought: men massed together, marching in line toward an objective. The ability to keep formations tight and disciplined to commands under fire allowed for more effective movement and the return of fire.
These units authorized by the Continental Congress are the forebears of today’s United States Army, our oldest uniformed service.
Why Celebrate the Army’s Birthday?
Celebrating the Army’s birthday is a critical link for today’s soldiers with the soldiers of our Nation’s past. Taking time to remember the selfless service, heroism, sacrifice, and honor that have been repeatedly displayed over the past two and a half centuries binds the past and the present.
Units take great pride in their lineage, some dating all the way back to these first units. Examples of these units are the Third United States Infantry Regiment, aka “The Old Guard,” which traces its lineage to 1784 when it was organized as the First American Regiment.
You may know this regiment because it is the ceremonial unit at Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Other units in the National Guard can trace their lineage even further back to Citizen-Soldier militias. The 101st Engineer Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment, and 181st and 182nd Infantry Regiments of the Massachusetts Army National Guard trace their roots back to 1636! The United States Army is truly a timeline of our shared American history.
Wait, There’s Another Holiday on June 14?
The Army shares its birthday with another holiday: Flag Day. Two years after the formation of the U.S. Army, the Continental Congress, realizing the need for a standard national symbol, created the “Flag Resolution,” standardizing the first American flag.
Why is the Army’s Birthday Important to the University of Arizona Global Campus?
The student body, staff, and faculty at the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) is full of Army veterans, retirees, and active-duty soldiers. Recognizing the storied history of the U.S. Army not only displays the University’s recognition of the importance of our Army’s contributions to the establishment and development of our Nation but also places an emphasis on the soldiers, past and present, who comprise the UAGC staff, faculty, and student body.
Why is the Army’s Birthday Important to Me?
Being a Soldier was the only thing I ever really wanted to do. Starting in Junior ROTC in high school, through Senior ROTC for my undergraduate program, being an Army officer was the ultimate goal. My own family can trace our lineage to immigrants arriving in Virginia on the Susan Constant in 1607. Coincidentally, my wife’s family was on the same voyage. Our families fought in sister regiments in the Revolution in the Virginia Line and in sister regiments for the Union with the Kentucky Volunteer Mounted Infantry.
Our families have served in every conflict in our Nation’s history, almost exclusively in the Army, right up through my own service in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait during the Global War on Terrorism. When I retired, I taught Junior ROTC for several years, hoping to inspire young people to become better citizens. I had thought my service to the Nation was essentially over, but in 2016, our oldest son enlisted to become a Green Beret, later fighting in Iraq and Syria. I continue my volunteer service to the Army as an Army Reserve Ambassador, telling Americans the story of the Army Reserve.
As I reflect on my personal connection to service, it is important for me to pause and remember my family members who fought and bled for this great Nation. I would like for you to take the time to say “thank you” to an Army veteran on the Army’s birthday and to reflect on everything the Army has done to make this the greatest Nation the world has ever known.
Thank you for your service.
Learn more about how UAGC supports the military-connected community.
