On December 13, 1636 our First “Citizen Soldier” were Mustered.

While several of our military branches can be justifiably proud of over 246 years of service to our nation, one component of the military goes back much further! The National Guard is the direct descendent of America’s first militias. The oldest regiments drilled for the first time on the village green in Salem, Massachusetts, on December 13, 1636. It was the militia that met Major John Pitcaim and his Regulars at Lexington as they marched on Concord and harried them all the way back to Boston, eventually besieging them. For the last four centuries, Citizen Soldiers have always been ready to serve both at home and abroad.