Happy 389th Birthday National Guard

The history of the National Guard traces back to the colonial militia. On December 13, 1636, the Massachusetts Bay Colony's General Court ordered the organization of the colony's existing militia companies into three permanent regiments to improve defense, marking the beginning of the first organized American fighting force. 
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These first regiments are the direct ancestors of several modern-day Massachusetts Army National Guard units and are recognized as the oldest units in the U.S. military. The date of this organizational order is officially recognized by the Department of Defense as the National Guard's birth date.