Army 250 Soft Launch

Our History, Our Story, Our Army

Welcome

Welcome to the soft launch of “Army 250”. If you received this it is because I have either talked with you about this project or because I think you might be interested in this work. The soft launch will run for the next few weeks and then start a broader marketing and dissemination plan on June 14, 2024. Your feedback and any support in spreading the word is very much welcome!

June 14, 1775

The Army was America before America was America. On June 14, 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence was issued, the U.S. Army was born. On this date, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution that said the following:

“Resolved, That six companies of expert riflemen [sic], be immediately raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia; … [and] that each company, as soon as completed [sic], shall march and join the army near Boston, to be there employed as light infantry, under the command of the chief Officer in that army.”

In an instant, six companies of riflemen, along with the New England Army of Observation, became the Continental Army, representing the full 13 colonies.

Fittingly, the Army was born under fire. Just a few days after this resolution was passed, approximately 1,500 New Englanders, newly transformed into the Continental Army, fought the British at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Much like the nation, the Army faced long odds against its survival, and yet at Bunker Hill and countless battles thereafter, it persevered.

The Army’s story is thus America’s story and the Army’s history is America’s history. It is a story of heroism, ingenuity, and skill, of professionals and citizen-soldiers, and of an exceptional rise to global power and strength. Every chapter in America’s history can be told through the Army’s story, through 250 years of campaigns, technological and organizational revolutions, social progress and setbacks, and incredible successes and victories along with stark failures and tragedies.

The sweep of the Army’s story extends far beyond battles and campaigns. The Army’s footprint can be seen in nearly every major development in American society, from cutting-edge technologies to the latest trends in fashion, food, art, and literature. Every American institution, from faith to politics, has similarly been shaped by and in turn influenced the Army. This makes the Army’s story one relevant for all Americans, regardless of service status or connection.

Further, the Army’s story is one of America’s values. It is a story of duty, honor, country and the best embodiments of all that makes America exceptional. It is also one that features America’s deepest struggles, from slavery and segregation to moral failures in the use of power and force.

Just as the founders established the Constitution in order to form a more perfect union, the Army’s story is perhaps best seen as the pursuit of something more perfect, something better than what was before. And remarkably, over 250 years, the Army has done just that. It has not been a straight line, but the arc of the Army’s story is undeniably one of progress. In this it embodies America’s journey as much as, if not more than, any other institution.

At at a time when it feels like Americans can’t talk to each other, the Army’s story is one we can all hear. Every American has a place in the Army’s story. The Army belongs to all of us. It is Our Army.

Army 250

Army 250 is a citizen-led, volunteer effort to help lift up the Army’s story as we approach the Army’s 250th birthday in 2025. The goals are to celebrate the Army’s history, educate Americans about this story, and to engage Americans in commemorating this milestone. The hope is to engage all Americans, including those who do not think they have a direct connection with the Army, in sharing stories about America’s Army.

Army 250 Plan of Action

As a volunteer effort, the plan is relatively simple:

1. A weekly newsletter here on Substack. Each week we’ll cover a theme from the Army’s history, feature upcoming milestones and anniversaries, share resources about how to learn, teach, or otherwise engage with the Army’s story. I hope to feature interviews and commentary from a range of people: historians; Army veterans, family members, and those still serving; entrepreneurs, museum curators, and tattoo artists; and more! We’ll cover everything from battles and biographies to industrial and technological developments, ways the Army influenced and shaped popular culture, food, clothing, and so much more. We’ll cover military history, but the Army’s story shows up across every sector of American life, and so we’ll also look at everything from food and fashion to technology and politics.

2. Social media. We’ll have more regular, social media style posts to spotlight key historical events, upcoming activities, and institutions and places where Americans can engage with the Army’s story.

3. Website. We’ll house a newsletter sign-up and library of resources at Army250.us.

How you can help

1. Spread the word: please share the newsletter with anyone you think would be interested.

2. Write: If you’d like to write for the newsletter or have an idea for a newsletter theme, please contact dan@army250.us.

3. Share resources: If you have resources or know of resources to highlight, please let me know (dan@army250.us). This could be institutions that have interesting content such as reports, videos, etc.; it could be people I could interview; or places people can go to learn more about the Army. Every week the goal is to tell a story about why the Army’s history matters, where people can go to learn more or to teach about the history, and how people can get more directly involved. It’d be great to see more Americans visit battlefields, museums, memorials, and bases; to have classrooms learn more about the Army’s past, present, and future; and to have more Americans—in and outside the Army—engage with this story any way they can.

4. Connect with partners: In addition to sharing resources, I’m eager to collaborate with organizations and individuals on this effort. If you know of a group, institution, or individual you think would like to be involved in some way, please let me know.

5. Send feedback: your feedback, ideas, and input is welcome and appreciated, especially in these early days, but also throughout the next year!

That’s it for now. Keep rolling along!