COLUMBIA, S.C. - The South Carolina National Guard celebrated the National Guard's 380th birthday with a cake-cutting ceremony Dec. 13, 2016 at the Adjutant General's building in Columbia, South Carolina. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston Jr., the Adjutant General of South Carolina, presided over the ceremony.
The youngest available Soldier, Spc. Shareka Peterson, 23, and oldest available Soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell Dean, 58, joined Livingston and Mr. Bill Dukes, South Carolina's civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army, to cut the cake.
"For 380 years, the National Guard has been there," said Livingston. "When you think of what makes our nation great, it's our men and women...We respond to take care of each other, to safeguard the freedoms that people enjoy throughout the world, and we help those who cannot help themselves....That has become the National Guard."
The National Guard heritage dates back to the thirteen original colonies in North America. The oldest of its units was organized on December 13, 1636, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony militia. This makes the National Guard the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States, and one of the oldest military organizations in the world.
The Founding Fathers recognized the importance of the militia by writing it into the U.S. Constitution. In the case of the militia, power was divided between the individual states and the federal government. This dual state-federal organization still characterizes the National Guard today and is unique in the world.
The National Guard's theme is "Answering the call since 1636," which reinforces the message that the National Guard is a professional, reliable and unique military force that excels at homeland response and overseas combat missions. For almost four centuries, no other U.S. military force has the authority, training and proximity to better perform a dual-mission role.
Most recently, approximately 2,000 S.C. National Guard members mobilized in response to Hurricane Matthew in early October. Soldiers and Airmen worked along the coastal region assisting in evacuations, security, and recovery after the storm. The S.C. National Guard also provided water bucket support to the Pinnacle Mountain wildfires that affected the western part of the state in November, dropping nearly 3 million gallons of water in order to contain the fires. Currently there are over 400 S.C. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen deployed around the world. During the past 15 years of conflict, more than 19,000 South Carolina National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have deployed and 16 have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
"'Always Ready, Always There' - If you think about that slogan, that's tough to live up to, but we've done it for 380 years," said Livingston.
Social Sharing