- June 16, 2025
Senator Marshall Introduces Resolution to Celebrate the 250th Birthday of the United States Army
Washington – On Monday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) introduced a resolution to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States Army, honoring its storied history from the American Revolution to the Global War on Terror.
The resolution also honors the bravery and patriotism of soldiers and veterans from Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the former of which recently joined Senator Marshall at the Army’s 250th birthday parade on Saturday, June 14, in Washington, D.C.
“It was a pleasure and honor to host 450 troops from Kansas’ own Fort Riley, honoring the ‘Big Red One,’ especially as they passed the storied 1st Division Monument, which holds special meaning as we celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday and honor all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” said Senator Marshall. “These young men and women are the best of the best, the first division that the President calls to defend our freedoms. This event was an important demonstration of patriotism that American citizens need to see, and it is a breath of fresh air to finally have a President who is going above and beyond to honor our nation’s heroes.”
Senator Marshall comes from a long line of Americans who served in the US Army, including his son, brother, father, and grandfather. Specifically, Senator Marshall was honorably discharged from the National Guard with the rank of Captain in 1991.
Click here to read the full text of the resolution.
Background:
- Kansas is home to critical military installations, including Fort Riley, home of the First Infantry Division – the oldest continuously serving division in the U.S. Army – and Fort Leavenworth, home of the U.S. Army’s Combined Arms Center (CAC) and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
- Fort Leavenworth, established in 1827, is the oldest continuously operating military installation west of the Mississippi River and the oldest permanent settlement in Kansas. Known historically as the “intellectual center of the Army,” all modern 5-star Army generals have passed through and studied at Fort Leavenworth, including George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Henry Arnold, Dwight Eisenhower, and Omar Bradley.
- The 1st Infantry Division, currently garrisoned at Fort Riley, is the oldest continuously serving division in the Army and was constituted on May 24, 1917. The Division has consistently been the first division to deploy into the wars of the United States, sending the first troops into World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and Desert Shield and Desert Storm. During World War II, the 1st Infantry Division was the first to reach England, the first to fight the enemy in North Africa and Sicily, the first on the beaches in Normandy during D-Day, and the first to capture a major German city.
- Senator Marshall recently attended the 250th birthday parade celebration of the U.S. Army, alongside 450 troops from Fort Riley’s ‘Big Red One.’
- Senator Marshall worked for seven years on the FIRST Act, legislation that added 631 names of Big Red One Soldiers to the First Infantry Division Monument.
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