December 13, 2021 (St. Paul, Minnesota) —

The Minnesota National Guard will celebrate the 385th birthday of the National Guard in St. Paul at noon on today with senior leaders hosting a cake cutting at the Cedar Street Armory.

“For nearly four centuries, U.S. citizens have volunteered to serve their state and nation, said Army Lt. Col. Eduardo Suárez, Minnesota National Guard’s Director of Strategic Communication. “The reasons to join the Guard are many, but whether you have served four years or forty years, your service is tied to those citizens who stood together to form militias all those years ago.”

Suárez 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 were made up of all adult males older than 16 and were expected to meet and train in military skills regularly.

The Minnesota National Guard was established in 1856 and is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Minnesota National Guard has more than 13,000 Soldiers and Airmen who serve in 58 communities across the state. The citizen-Soldiers and Airmen of the Minnesota National Guard are ‘Always Ready Always There’ to fight the nation’s wars, protect the country, respond to state emergencies and contribute to local communities.