Minnesota National Guard Celebrates the Guard’s 388th Birthday
MEDIA RELEASE: For Immediate Release
Dec. 12, 2024
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota National Guard will celebrate the National Guard’s 388th birthday tomorrow with a cake cutting ceremony at the Cedar Street Armory in St. Paul.
“The opportunity to celebrate our organization’s heritage is one we proudly participate in,” said Army Col. Eduardo Suarez, Director of Culture, Resiliency & Community Engagement at Minnesota National Guard for the Minnesota National Guard. “The National Guard is a special organization in that we serve our state and country, either here at home or overseas.”
Suarez will host the birthday event and provide brief remarks. The event will include a cake cutting by a Soldier and an Airman.
The National Guard claims Dec. 13, 1636, as its official birthday. On that date, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a law establishing formal militia companies in the colony. These companies comprised adult males older than 16 and were expected to meet and train in military skills regularly.
The Minnesota National Guard was formed in 1856, and the oldest annual report on record is from 1892. That year’s document reported the Guard consisted of ten companies of infantry, two troops of cavalry, and two sections of artillery, with a total strength of 844 Soldiers.
“Today, your Minnesota National Guard is nearly 13,000 strong – men and women who have put on the uniform and sworn to defend our state and nation,” said Suarez. “Much has changed since the beginning of your Guard, but when we ask new enlistees why they joined, they frequently say, I want to serve my country.”
– About the Minnesota National Guard –
Established in 1856 and headquartered in Saint Paul, the Minnesota National Guard has more than 13,000 Soldiers and Airmen who serve in 58 communities across the state. The Citizen[1]Soldiers and Airmen of the Minnesota National Guard are ‘Always Ready’ to fight the nation’s wars, protect the country, respond to state emergencies, and contribute to local communities. For more information about the Minnesota National Guard, visit https://MinnesotaNationalGuard.ng.mil.
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