To celebrate America's 250th birthday this year, the Arkansas National Guard enlisted 250 recruits during a ceremony at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History in Little Rock, Arkansas, April 11.
"This ceremony recognizes America's 250th birthday in Arkansas while honoring the military service that helped secure our independence," said Army Brig. Gen. Chad Bridges, Arkansas' adjutant general. "The colonial militias — the predecessors of today's National Guard — stood against the British Army at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, and the Continental Congress established the Army two months later on June 14, 1775. Arkansas also has a direct Revolutionary War connection through the 1783 battle at Arkansas Post, recognized as the only Revolutionary War battle fought in present-day Arkansas."
The 250 recruits represent the nearly 1,300 guardsmen that both the Arkansas Army and Air National Guard recruit annually into their respective brigades and wings.
The Arkansas National Guard traces its roots to 1804, one year after the Louisiana Purchase.
The legislative body governing the Indiana Territory, of which Arkansas was a part, enacted a law making most males liable for military service, according to the Arkansas National Guard Museum website.
Throughout its history, the Arkansas National Guard has answered the call in times of war, natural disasters and other domestic emergencies. Its legacy reflects the service of Arkansans who have balanced civilian lives with military duty, exemplifying the citizen-soldier ethos that has defined the nation since its founding.