Governor Proclaims Birthday of the US Army 2022

WHEREAS, on June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established a Continental Army to secure the common defense of the original thirteen colonies during the War for Independence; and

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Council of Safety deployed Patriot troops to intercept and defeat Loyalist forces at Moore Creek’s Bridge in February of 1776; and

WHEREAS, during World War I, the United States Regular Army was restructured to include 286,000 regular servicemembers, 450,000 National Guard service members, and a 500,000-person National Army; and

WHEREAS, during that restructuring, Camp Bragg was established in 1918 as a 300-square-mile training center for 16,000 soldiers; by World War II, Camp Bragg was the largest post in the Army, housing approximately 60,000 soldiers; and

WHEREAS, today, Fort Bragg remains the largest United States Army installation, is home to more than 75,000 people, and encompasses more than 160,780 acres and two airfields; and

WHEREAS, the impact of the Army across North Carolina extends beyond Fort Bragg through the Army Research Office in Durham, the National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, and the Army Reserve 108^th Training Command in Charlotte; and  

WHEREAS, these men and women who serve proudly as soldiers of the United States Army, and the families who support them, make great sacrifices to defend our freedoms; and

WHEREAS, our state has a proud tradition of supporting all Armed Forces in their mission to defend our principles of liberty and freedom, and is honored to be considered the most military-friendly and veteran-friendly state in the nation;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim June 14, 2022, as “BIRTHDAY OF THE US ARMY” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.