Next Tuesday, April 23, marks the 116th birthday of the United States Army Reserve, recognizing the dedicated service of the nation’s 200,000 Army Reserve Soldiers and Civilians. The theme this year is “Today’s Army Reserve: Building Critical Skills for the Nation.” Today, the Army Reserve offers more than 120 different career fields. Soldiers can build on their civilian profession in the Reserve or try a new career that fulfills a separate purpose.

On April 23, 1908, an act of Congress created the Medical Reserve Corps, the official predecessor of the Army Reserve. After World War II, under the National Defense Act of 1920, Congress reorganized the land forces by authorizing a Regular Army, a National Guard, and an Organized Reserve of 35 divisions, which later became the Army Reserve. The legislation provided a peacetime pool of trained Reserve officers and enlisted men for use in war.

When the United States entered World War II immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the number of Army Reserve officers on activity duty suddenly rose from fewer than 3,000 to more than 57,000, signifying the beginning of a new era in national security and the role of the United States in the world as the guardian of democracy.

To celebrate this year’s birthday, the Army Reserve command has planned a celebration throughout next week that includes a leadership fitness run, a cake-cutting ceremony, and local events throughout the country. For more information about the anniversary, click here.