UNITED STATES ARMY

The American Army was created on June 14, 1775, when the Continental Congress
first authorized the muster of troops to serve under its own authority.
Those soldiers came from the provincial forces of the colonies, which were
at that time laying siege to Boston. From its birth, the American Army has
relied on the citizen soldier, exemplified by the militia and the Minutemen
who fought the British at Lexington and Concord. Commanded by
General George Washington and supported by our French allies,
the Continental Army defeated the British at Yorktown and secured the
freedoms so eloquently stated in the Declaration of Independence.
Thus, the birth of the Army preceded and guaranteed the birth of the nation.