Honoring and celebrating the United States Military with ceremonies and birthdays has been a longstanding tradition. The birthday of the United States Naval Reserve by Act of Congress on March 3, 1915, is no exception. Each subsequent March 3 is typically observed at various Navy Reserve units, the Reserve Headquarters, and the Navy Memorial in Washington, DC.

On April 6, 1917, the name was changed to U.S. Naval Reserve Force and about 8,000 sailors joined World War I. The number grew almost exponentially to 250,000 reservists by the end of the War. The Reserve also served during World War II, making up 84 percent of the Navy’s fighting force. They have also served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the first Gulf War, and the deployed in Bosnia and Kosovo. In 2005, the Naval Reserve Force went back to the original name Navy Reserve.  More than 70,000 sailors served in posts around the world in the decade following the 9-11 attacks on the United States.

Despite its evolution and many changes over the years to the Navy Reserve, the motto has remained the same: “Ready Now. Anytime. Anywhere.” For additional facts surrounding the birth and long history of the Navy Reserve, courtesy of the Museum of the American G.I., click here.