The Iowa National Guard recognized the upcoming 250th birthday of the U.S. Army in a ceremony at Camp Dodge in Johnston on Thursday.
Iowa National Guard soldiers and airmen at the celebration of the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday.
With a little pomp and circumstance, and cake, soldiers and airmen of the guard gathered to hear Adjutant General Stephen Osborn talk about the significance of the milestone. He says for a quarter of a Millennium, our army has stood as one of the oldest and most enduring institutions in our nation. “And nowhere is its legacy more alive than right here with the Iowa National Guard, whose roots trace back to 1636, earlier than the Army itself. And our Air Force brothers and sisters. They, too, share our proud lineage. Born from the Army’s early air power of the Army Air Corps and later Army Air Forces before becoming an independent branch of service in 1947,” he says.
Major General Osborn says the Army and the military have continued to change. “And over these past 250 years, we’ve learned a thing or two. First and foremost, we’ve learned that taking care of our people and our families is the foundation of our mission. Readiness begins with people,” Osborn says. He says the current Army has something in common with the first soldiers. “Our military has always been an institution of change, adapting to meet new challenges and emerging threats, and we must continue this evolution if we are to remain the trusted force that our state and our nation rely on. That means embracing the change in the changing environment that we now operate in,” Osborn says.
General Osborn says there is no choice but to move forward and adapt. “We must seek new and innovative ways to build readiness and to meet the expectations of our civilian leaders. This includes seeking greater efficiencies in all we do, from recruiting to training, transformation, and modernization are not simply buzzwords. They are reality. And they are a necessity,” he says.
The U.S. Army was established on June 14th, 1775.