[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19720]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          CELEBRATING THE 381ST BIRTHDAY OF THE NATIONAL GUARD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of 
the 381st birthday of the National Guard.
  A component of the United States Army, the National Guard is 
primarily composed of citizen soldiers who hold down full-time civilian 
jobs or attend school. At the same time, National Guard members are 
available to provide support and protection for their States or to be 
called for military operations for the country. They serve their 
community and their country.
  Each U.S. State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, and the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands maintain 
both an Army National Guard and an Air National Guard.
  The Massachusetts General Court issued an order on December 13, 1636, 
requiring all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60 to create a 
standing Army for protection. With that order, what we now know as 
America's National Guard was born. The idea was simple: establish an 
Army of citizen soldiers who could be called upon to fight when needed.
  In honor of the National Guard's birthday, here are some lesser known 
facts about the branch: each member of the National Guard is sworn to 
uphold two constitutions, Federal and State. The term ``National 
Guard'' didn't become an official term until 1916. 50,000 members of 
the National Guard were called to take on various missions during the 
9/11 attacks in 2001. Only two Presidents have served in the National 
Guard in its modern structure: Harry S. Truman and George W. Bush.
  The National Guard is older than the Army. Militias were used as 
early as 1636 to protect British colonies. The U.S. Army wasn't formed 
until the beginning of the Revolutionary War.
  American Samoa is the only territory of the United States to not have 
a National Guard unit.
  National Guard units were called minutemen during the American 
Revolution due to their rapid response ability.
  The most senior member of each State National Guard unit is the 
adjutant general. Some States elect the adjutant general while others 
have their Governor appoint someone to that position.
  The National Guard formed one of the first all-African-American units 
in U.S. military history, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers. Their 
creation was met with mixed reactions, but the unit serves to this day, 
and the first African American to receive a Medal of Honor, William 
Harvey Carney, hailed from it.
  The National Guard is second only to the United States Army in terms 
of number of members.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend all those who join the ranks of the esteemed 
National Guard. They answer the call of duty to protect their community 
and their country. We are grateful for their service and proud of their 
commitment.
  Happy 381st birthday to the National Guard.

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