Written by: CIO/G-6
6/14/2012 12:27 PM 

This week the Army celebrates its 237th birthday, marking the day in June 1775 when the Continental Congress formally approved the creation of a unified force representing all 13 colonies to battle for freedom from the British crown. For eight long years, the Continental Army fought valiantly, with almost no resources and under the harshest conditions. Eventually, and at great cost, it triumphed, despite the much better equipped British military and its hired mercenaries.

But with independence in hand, a vigorous debate arose among the Founding Fathers regarding the future of the Army. Should the new country have a standing army controlled by and responsible only to the central government? A sizeable number of delegates to the Constitutional Convention emphatically responded in the negative. A standing army was not in the country’s best interests, they argued. It would not represent the people at large nor be responsive to them. In fact, they asserted, a standing army was a danger to freedom: in the hands of the central government, it easily could – and likely would – become a tool of oppression and tyranny against the States and ordinary citizens. A standing army simply could never be trusted.

Eventually, those in favor of a standing army carried the day, enshrining its existence in the Constitution. But, ever since, it has been the dedication and professionalism of the men and women in uniform that have ensconced the Army in the people’s hearts. For 237 years, the Army has proven itself trustworthy, committed to the defense of the Nation, deferential to the law and the Constitution, and a servant of the people. The fear expressed in 1787 has not come to fruition. Rather, the Army has shown itself time and again to be the bedrock of our liberty and prosperity – earning its standing as one of the Nation’s most hallowed institutions.

The CIO/G-6 team has been essential to keeping the Army strong enough to conquer the latest challenges to the United States’ security. Through your countless hours of hard work and creative thinking, our Soldiers and civilian leaders have remained armed with the most critical warfighting tool of them all: timely, secure information. Your dedication to making sure they have what they need, when they need it, is the difference between mission success and mission failure. I, and every Soldier out there, profoundly appreciate your phenomenal efforts. Every member of the Army is deeply indebted to you.

I ask that each of you reading this take a moment to reflect on the Army, its place in American history and society, and the Army’s efforts to make it the most capable land force on the planet. We are carrying forward a legacy born at Concord and Lexington, with an obligation to preserve this great Nation for the generations to come.

Happy Birthday - Army Strong!


LTG Susan Lawrence
Army Chief Information Officer /G-6

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