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Video by Tech. Sgt. Karl Schwach

Happy Birthday National Guard

National Guard Bureau

Nov. 30, 2017 | 0:30

The National Guard celebrates 381 years of service.

We recognize December 13th as the birthday of the National Guard. On this date in 1636, the first militia regiments in North America were organized in Massachusetts. Based upon an order of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's General Court, the colony's militia was organized into three permanent regiments to better defend the colony. Today, the descendants of these first regiments - the 181st Infantry, the 182nd Infantry, the 101st Field Artillery, and the 101st Engineer Battalion of the Massachusetts Army National Guard – share the distinction of being the oldest units in the U.S. military. December 13, 1636, thus marks the beginning of the organized militia, and the birth of the National Guard's oldest organized units is symbolic of the founding of all the state, territory, and District of Columbia militias that collectively make up today's National Guard.

Courtesy: nationalguard.mil

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ANG1636101st Engineer BattalionNG101st Field ArtilleryARNGDecember181st Infantry182nd InfantryKarl SchwachSteven Schwach381National GuardbirthdayAir National GuardArmy National Guard

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National Guard's 381st Birthday Video - Arkansas National Guard

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