The Army Is 237 Years Old Today

A wreath-laying ceremony this morning at Arlington National Cemetery marks the U.S. Army’s 237th birthday. The Army traces its roots to June 14, 1775, before the Declaration of Independence, when the Continental Congress authorized creation of a Continental Army just days before the battle of Bunker Hill. The Army is now in the midst of plans to reduce its active duty forces from a peak of about 570,000 at the height of the Iraq war to 490,000 by 2017.