Nation’s Oldest Military Force Turns 386

Today Wisconsin joins the rest of the nation in celebrating the birthday of the National Guard — a unique, versatile and adaptive force of men and women who live and work in communities across the country. Standing ready to help when called upon, the National Guard has a dual mission, serving the governor as the state’s first military responder, and also serving as the primary combat reserve of the Army and Air Force.

On this date in 1636, men from the Massachusetts Bay Colony — an English settlement spanning parts of modern Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire — assembled for their first muster. This formation of citizens to train and prepare to quickly defend their settlement by strength of arms, in addition to their regular vocations, is considered the birthday of the National Guard. CLICK HERE FOR MORE OF THE STORY.