Today we celebrate the United States Army. It was this day 241 years ago that Congress adopted the “American Continental Army” which was originally kept very secret. Below are 5 surprising army facts you may not have known about those in Uniform:
#1 On June 14th in 1775, Congress authorized the enlistment of “expert riflemen” to serve the United Colonies for one year, serving as light infantry for the Boston Seige. The Army consisted of ten companies of riflemen appointed under Washington and Schuyler, who were also responsible for 15,000 New England troops. They expanded quickly and doubled their numbers by the end of July. This makes the Army older than the US itself!
#2 The Special Forces wasn’t an official Army branch until April 9, 1987.
#3 The Army is the second largest employer with well over 1 million active people on their payroll.
#4 The US Army protects most countries on the planet. Our Special Ops Forces have been deployed in 135 countries, helping them handle counter insurgency, info operations, recon, defense against WMD’s, and more.
#5 Fewer than 28% of Americans aged 17 to 23 are qualified to serve.
We are grateful for those who have served. Happy Birthday to the United States Army from Mortgages For Champions!