{"id":316034,"date":"2024-10-30T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=316034"},"modified":"2024-11-02T16:27:33","modified_gmt":"2024-11-02T16:27:33","slug":"district-of-columbia-national-guard-honors-legacy-of-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=316034","title":{"rendered":"District of Columbia National Guard Honors Legacy of Service"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n The District of Columbia National Guard celebrated the 222nd anniversary of the first muster of D.C. Militia at the D.C. Armory, Oct. 30 2024. The event underscored the D.C. National Guard\u2019s legacy, from its beginnings in 1802 to present-day missions supporting the capital city and national defense. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Ayan Sheikh)
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WASHINGTON – Two hundred twenty-two years ago, the District of Columbia Militia, hailing from every class and occupation, reported for duty near Rawlins Park. At this muster, leaders conducted roll call for each individual in the militia and taught the latest military tactics, which the unit members then practiced. Musters for training also unified the citizens of the settlements under a common purpose and enhanced readiness and cohesiveness.<\/p>\n

On Oct. 30, the D.C. National Guard commemorated the 222nd anniversary of its first muster, honoring its lineage and forbearers. All major commands of the D.C. Army and Air National Guard attended, with organizational guidons and streamers representing every campaign it served, dating back to the War of 1812.<\/p>\n

The event honored the D.C. National Guard\u2019s long history of service, from its beginnings as the D.C. Militia in 1802 to its modern-day role in defending the nation\u2019s capital and supporting missions worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, we commemorate the anniversary of our first muster and honor those who have built and upheld the legacy of this organization,\u201d said Maj. Gen. John C. Andonie, commanding general (interim) of the D.C. National Guard. \u201cFrom defending our nation\u2019s capital in times of war to responding to emergencies and natural disasters, we stand on the shoulders of those who served before us.\u201d<\/p>\n

He underscored the organization\u2019s connection to key moments in U.S. history, including the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam, Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, and the ongoing mission supporting CENTCOM.<\/p>\n

He also highlighted domestic operations, such as COVID-19 relief missions, State of the Union addresses and presidential inaugurations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe continue to bolster a force that\u2019s focused on core missions \u2014 partnership building, homeland defense and response, and Army and Air combat readiness,\u201d Andonie said.<\/p>\n

The event featured performances by the 257th Army Band and a posting of colors by the D.C. National Guard Color Guard. Capt. Andrew Hargroder recounted the original muster on Oct. 30, 1802, when 700 to 1,000 men from the city traveled by foot or horse to a racetrack called the Washington Jockey Club for the first militia drill.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs mandated by the Militia Act of 1792, the men of the First Legion were free, able-bodied white male citizens of the city between 18-45 years old,\u201d said Hargroder. \u201cThey represented the extent to which many American lawmakers of that era believed who could or should be a Citizen-Soldier.\u201d<\/p>\n

The men were artisans, laborers and professionals, bound by duty to protect the government, the capital and their communities. Hargroder and senior leaders agree the modern D.C. National Guard member has played a significant role in the evolution of America\u2019s Citizen-Soldier, from a narrow definition to an expansive identity representative of the diversity and strength of the nation.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir commitment laid the foundation for what the D.C. National Guard stands for today,\u201d Hargroder said.<\/p>\n

During the event, Andonie administered the enlistment oath to recruits, reaffirming the D.C. National Guard\u2019s commitment to the nation, the capital and the people of Washington.<\/p>\n

Brig. Gen. Leland L. Blanchard II, the adjutant general, dismissed the formations at the ceremony\u2019s close.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis ceremony is a reminder of the unbroken chain of service that connects the past, present and future of the D.C. National Guard,\u201d said Capt. Robert Schapiro, who narrated the program.<\/p>\n

The event concluded with the 257th Army Band playing the Army and Air Force songs.<\/p>\n

For more National Guard news<\/a><\/p>\n

National Guard Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

National Guard X<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The District of Columbia National Guard celebrated the 222nd anniversary of the first muster of D.C. Militia at the D.C. Armory, Oct. 30 2024. The event underscored the D.C. National Guard\u2019s legacy, from its beginnings in 1802 to present-day missions supporting the capital city and national defense. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Ayan Sheikh) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":316036,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-316034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=316034"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":316037,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316034\/revisions\/316037"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/316036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=316034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=316034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=316034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}