Guard Leaders, Lawmakers, Defense Officials to Mark National Guard Birthday.

Members of Congress and Pentagon officials will join National Guard leaders on Capitol Hill tomorrow evening (Dec. 10) for a special cake-cutting ceremony and reception to commemorate the Guard's 373rd birthday.

Hosted by NGAUS, the event is set for the Rayburn House Office Building Foyer from 5 to 7 p.m. It will celebrate the founding of the nation's oldest military organization.

"On Dec. 13, 1636, the Massachusetts legislature ordered the organization of militia companies in the towns around Boston into three regiments to better defend lives and liberties in the fledgling colony," said retired Brig. Gen. Stephen M. Koper, NGAUS president.

"But this week, we do more than just mark a date in history," he said. "We celebrate 373 years of service to state and nation, from the earliest colonial days to today, whenever and wherever there is a threat to our citizens, our values or our way of life."

In Massachusetts, all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60, except ministers and judges, were required to join the militia.

Today, the Guard is an all-volunteer force of more than 465,000 men and women, most of them part-time soldiers and airmen, who must take time from work or school, as well as families, to train and serve. About 60,000 of them are deployed overseas or soon will be.

Gen. Craig R. McKinley, National Guard Bureau chief, will be the featured speaker at the event.

Editors, photographers and videographers: The cake-cutting ceremony will involve NGAUS leaders, Pentagon officials and members of Congress joining McKinley to cut a large birthday cake with a replica of an 18th century military sabre.

About NGAUS: The association includes nearly 45,000 current or former Guard officers. It was created in 1878 to provide unified National Guard representation in Washington. In their first productive meeting after Reconstruction, militia officers from the North and South formed the association with the goal of obtaining better equipment and training by petitioning Congress for more resources. Today, 131 years later, NGAUS has the same mission.

Internet Availability: This document and other Guard and NGAUS news and information are available at http://www.ngaus.org/.

Keywords: Defense, Military, National Guard Association of the U.S.

This article was prepared by Defense & Aerospace Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Defense & Aerospace Week via VerticalNews.com.