After a couple of decades as an active-duty Army spouse, I finally know a few things about the lifestyle. Most of those things are survival skills learned by sinking or swimming, like when someone messes with your BAH, and you have to learn to fix it ASAP because your spouse is headed out on a TDY soon, and all you know is that you’re missing a lot of money from this month’s LES.
Notice all of those acronyms?
I’ve learned those terms along the way, either by osmosis or repetition; I’m not sure. Although I now understand that the PX has been renamed the Exchange, there is so much more about the Army and its 249 years of history that I don’t know.
The Army celebrates its birthday on June 14. In recognition of the institution and the dedicated soldiers who serve diligently, I’d like to share a few facts about the Army that you probably didn’t know.
1) The Army is over a year older than the United States. Any school book says we recognize the birth of our nation as July 4, 1776, but Major General George Washington needed official troops many months before.
He had hardy but rag-tag militias, so he asked the Continental Congress to provide him with an organizational plan to start the first Army. The resolution occurred on June 14, 1775.
Paratroopers with 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, carry a AT-4 training grenade launcher during a platoon level live-fire exercise at the 7th Army Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany.
2) Several branches of the Army share the same birth year as the overall Army. The Continental Congress deemed them necessary for the time: Infantry, Adjutant General’s Corps, Corps of Engineers, Finance Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Air Defense Artillery, and Field Artillery. Armor’s birthday is close but in 1776.
3) Twenty-four presidents served in the Army or predated the official Army and served in militias. Did you know there was a Captain Abraham Lincoln? Yep, in the Black Hawk War.
4) Within the presidential Army ranks, several received outstanding military awards. President Theodore Roosevelt earned the Medal of Honor (posthumously), and President George H.W. Bush earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. President George Washington was promoted to General of the Armies of the United States in 1976, coinciding with the country’s bicentennial celebration.
5) President Washington was also responsible for the Continental Army's uniform. The uniforms famously originated with Washington’s order of blue coats with differing facings for the various state troops, artillery, artillery artificers, and light dragoons. Although the uniform has evolved through many colors and designs, an intentional return to the blue coats was reestablished in 2010.
6) There have only been five 5-Star Generals in the Army’s history. General George C. Marshall, General Douglas MacArthur, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Henry H. Arnold, and General Omar N. Bradley.
7) The Army as a whole encompasses the efforts of the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve.
8) The official motto of the Army is “This We’ll Defend.”
9) Flag Day shares the Army’s birthday. It’s also celebrated on June 14. The Second Continental Congress passed a resolution adopting the flag of the United States in 1777.
10) The Army flag was not officially designated and unfurled until June 14, 1956, in Philadelphia.
11) Originally an artillery tune, the music of "The Caisson Song" was repurposed into the iconic anthem known as "The Army Goes Rolling Along." It was finally recognized as the official Army song on Veterans Day 1956.
12) “The Old Guard,” formally known as the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, is the Army's oldest active-duty infantry unit. You’ll recognize these soldiers because they maintain the Changing of the Guard tradition at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
13) The beloved call or shout, “Hooah!” is ubiquitous in the Army. Its origins are contentious, but most believe it evolved from the acronym HUA: Heard. Understood. Acknowledge. The famous 82nd Airborne Division is credited with the World War II term.
14) The Army owns about 15 million acres of land throughout the U.S. This land mass is larger than each of these states: New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island.
15 ) Fort Liberty, Fort Cavazos, Fort Bliss, Fort Moore, and Fort Campbell are the Army’s largest bases in land size and personnel.
17) The U.S. Army may not be the first organization that comes to mind as a significant humanitarian relief provider. But it certainly has contributed immeasurably to the rescue and rebuilding of many nations and throughout the U.S. The Army has assisted with hurricane clean-up, flood disasters, and forest fire recovery.
18) The U.S. Army NASA Detachment is a subordinate element to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. However, the Army’s involvement with space exploration dates back to 1958, when it launched America’s first satellite, Explorer I.
To date, NASA has selected 19 Army astronauts to fly aboard the Space Shuttle, Russian Soyuz spacecraft, and the International Space Station.
19) Instead of celebrating with a ball, this year's Army Birthday Festival occurs at the National Museum of the U.S. Army near Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The weekend’s events are in person and live-streamed.
When my husband started his Army career, I knew there was much to learn, and in a hurry. I focused on logistics like registering my car, powering through an on-base housing waiting list, and the cumbersome Tricare rigamarole, which has tested my patience extensively.
What I didn’t anticipate was how meaningful our relationships with the people we met along the way would be. The loyalty of steadfast friends and mentors we’ve met is exceptional and truly only found amongst the ranks of United States service members and their families.
These people are, and continue to be, the best things we didn’t know about the Army.
Unless otherwise noted, all photos via U.S. Army.