JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Sgt. Maj. Fransisco Lopez, 841st Transportation Battalion command sergeant major, cuts the cake celebrating the Army's 243rd birthday as Lt. Col. Chad Blacketer, 841st Trans Bn. commander looks on during the unit's celebration of the Army birthday June 14, 2018 at the Joint Base Charleston Naval Weapons Station, S.C. The birthday commemorates the date in 1775 when the Continental Congress authorized enlistment of expert riflemen to serve the United Colonies for one year. At the time, the Army was comprised of 22,000 militiamen gathered outside of Boston, plus 5,000 more in New York. Today, the Army has about 467,000 active duty soldiers, with another 343,000 in the U.S. Army National Guard and 206,000 in the Army Reserves.