Chuck Grassley: “On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress passed a resolution creating what we know today as the United States Army.…”

“On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress passed a resolution creating what we know today as the United States Army. Since its establishment 250 years ago, tens of millions of American patriots have put their lives on the line to protect national security, defend our allies, and fight tyranny and terror from distant shores. Today, the Army is comprised of roughly 450,000 Active-Duty servicemen, 325,000 National Guardsmen, and 176,000 members of the Reserve, making the U.S. Army the largest branch of the military. I want to thank our brave men and women in uniform for their sacrifices to our country. Their dedication and their selflessness have made our Nation safer, and the first priority of the Federal Government ought to be our own national security. Now, we have to think back to President George Washington's first annual address to Congress, where he said: To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving the peace in the world. That includes a nonnegotiable tenet of America's national security, which is 'peace through strength.' I have said before and I want to reiterate, we must be prepared at all times to stamp out aggression because weakness is provocative. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and a strong and capable military is the best way to do that.”