Army Birthdays

Adjutant General's Corps: 16 June 1775

The post of Adjutant General was established on 16 June 1775 and has been continuously in operation since that time. The Adjutant General's Department was established by the act of 3 March 1813. It became The Adjutant General's Corps per The Army Organization Act of 1950.

• Authorities:
• Journals of Congress. Friday, 16 June 1775
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(6)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Corps of Engineers: 16 June 1775

Continental Congress authority for a "Chief Engineer for the Army" dates from 16 June 1775. A Corps of Engineers for the United States was authorized by the Congress on 11 March 1779. The Corps of Engineers as it is known today came into being on 16 March 1802, when the President was authorized to "organize and establish a Corps of Engineers ... that the said Corps ... shall be stationed at West Point in the State of New York and shall constitute a Military Academy."

• Authorities:
• Journals of Congress. Friday, 16 June 1775
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(4)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Finance Corps: 16 June 1775

The Finance Corps is the successor to the old Pay Department, which was created on 16 June 1775. The Finance Department was created by law on 1 July 1920. It became the Finance Corps with the passage of The Army Organization Act of 1950.

• Authorities:
• Journals of Congress. Friday, 16 June 1775
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(4)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Quartermaster Corps: 16 June 1775

The Quartermaster Corps, originally designated the Quartermaster Department, was established on 16 June 1775. While numerous additions, deletions, and changes of function have occurred, its basic supply and service support functions have continued in existence.

• Authorities:
• Journals of Congress. Friday, 16 June 1775
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(4)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Air Defense Artillery Corps: 17 November 1775

The Continental Congress unanimously elected Henry Knox "Colonel of the Regiment of Artillery" on 17 November 1775. The regiment formally entered service on 1 January 1776. Both Air Defense Artillery (previously Coast Artillery) and Field Artillery share this common heritage. At various times, all arms of artillery have been referred to as Artillery. This is still reflected in Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063(a)(3).

• Authorities:
• Journals of Congress. Friday, 17 November 1775
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(3)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Field Artillery: 17 November 1775

The Continental Congress unanimously elected Henry Knox "Colonel of the Regiment of Artillery" on 17 November 1775. The regiment formally entered service on 1 January 1776. Both Air Defense Artillery and Field Artillery share this common heritage.

• Authorities:
• Journals of Congress. Friday, 17 November 1775
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(3)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Armor: 12 December 1776

The Armor branch traces its origin to the Cavalry. A regiment of cavalry was authorized to be raised by the Continental Congress Resolve of 12 December 1776. Although mounted units were raised at various times after the Revolution, the oldest Regular Army cavalry units date to 1833. The Tank Service was formed on 5 March 1918. The Armored Force was formed on 10 July 1940. Armor became a permanent branch with the passage of The Army Organization Act of 1950.

• Authorities:
• Journals of Congress. Thursday, 12 December 1776
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(2)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Ordnance Corps: 14 May 1812

The Ordnance Department was established by act of Congress on 14 May 1812. During the Revolutionary War, ordnance material was under supervision of the Board of War and Ordnance. Numerous shifts in duties and responsibilities have occurred in the Ordnance Corps since colonial times. It acquired its present form with the passage of The Army Organization Act of 1950.

• Authorities:
• Act of Congress, 14 May 1812
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(9)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Signal Corps: 21 June 1860

The Signal Corps became a branch of the Army by act of Congress on 3 March 1863. However, the Signal Corps dates its existence from 21 June 1860, when Congress authorized the appointment of one signal officer in the Army, and a War Department order carried the following assignment: "Signal Department—Assistant Surgeon Albert J. Myer to be Signal Officer, with the rank of Major, June 27, 1860, to fill an original vacancy."

• Authorities:
• Act of Congress, 21 June 1860 [Announced in War Department General Orders, No. 18, dated 9 July 1860].
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(5)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Chemical Corps: 28 June 1918

The Chemical Warfare Service was established on 28 June 1918, combining activities that until then had been dispersed among five separate agencies of Government. It was made a permanent branch of the Regular Army by the National Defense Act of 1920. In 1945, it was redesignated the Chemical Corps.

• Authorities:
• War Department General Orders, No. 62, dated 28 June 1918 [Under authority conferred by Act of Congress, 18 May 1917].
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(10)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Military Police Corps: 26 September 1941

A Provost Marshal General's Office and Corps of Military Police were established in 1941. Prior to that time, except during the Civil War and World War I, there was no regularly appointed Provost Marshal General or regularly constituted Military Police Corps, although a "Provost Marshal" can be found as early as January 1776, and a "Provost Corps" in 1778.

• Authorities:
• Adjutant General's Office memorandum AG 320.2 (9-26-41) MR-M-A, dated 26 September 1941
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(12)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Transportation Corps: 31 July 1942

The historical background of the Transportation Corps starts with World War I. Prior to that time, transportation operations were chiefly the responsibility of the Quartermaster General. The Transportation Corps, essentially in its present form, was organized on 31 July 1942.

• Authorities:
• War Department General Orders, No. 38, dated 31 July 1942
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(11)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Civil Affairs: 17 August 1955

The first Civil Affairs units in the Army were formed during World War II. Additional units saw service in subsequent conflicts. Civil Affairs/Military Government was established as an Army Reserve Branch on 17 August 1955. Subsequently redesignated as the Civil Affairs Branch on 2 October 1959, its members continued its mission to provide guidance to commanders on a broad spectrum of civil affairs activities. The expansion of Civil Affairs in the Regular Army led to Civil Affairs being established as a basic branch of the Army effective 16 October 2006 by Department of the Army General Orders (AGO) No. 29, 12 January 2007.

• Authorities:
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(13) and Section 3064 (a)(4)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 51, dated 17 August 1955
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 36, dated 2 October 1959
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 29, dated 12 January 2007

Military Intelligence: 1 July 1962

Intelligence has been an essential element of Army operations during war as well as during periods of peace. In the past, requirements were met by personnel from the Army Intelligence and Army Security Reserve branches, two-year obligated tour officers, one-tour levies on the various branches, and Regular Army officers in the specialization programs. To meet the Army's increased requirement for national and tactical intelligence, an Intelligence and Security Branch was established in the Army effective 1 July 1962, by General Orders No. 38, dated 3 July 1962. On 1 July 1967, the branch was redesignated as Military Intelligence.

• Authorities:
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(13)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 38, dated 3 July 1962
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 25, dated 16 June 1967
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 19, dated 31 October 1978

Aviation: 12 April 1983

Following the establishment of the U.S. Air Force as a separate service in 1947, the Army began to develop further its own aviation assets (light planes and rotary wing aircraft) in support of ground operations. The Korean War gave this drive impetus, and the war in Vietnam saw its fruition, as Army aviation units performed a variety of missions, including reconnaissance, transport, and fire support. After the war in Vietnam, the role of armed helicopters as tank destroyers received new emphasis. In recognition of the growing importance of aviation in Army doctrine and operations, Aviation became a separate branch on 12 April 1983, and a full member of the Army's combined arms team.

• Authorities:
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(13)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 6, dated 15 February 1984

Special Forces: 9 April 1987

The first Special Forces unit in the Army was formed on 11 June 1952, when the 10th Special Forces Group was activated at Fort Bragg, NC. A major expansion occurred in the 1960s, with additional groups organized in the Regular Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard. As a result of renewed emphasis on special operations in the 1980s, the Special Forces branch was established as a basic branch of the Army effective 9 April 1987, by AGO No. 35, 19 June 1987.

• Authorities:
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(13)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 35, dated 19 June 1987

Psychological Operations: 16 October 2006

The first Psychological Operations units in the Army were formed during World War II. Additional units saw service in subsequent conflicts. Psychological Operations was established as a basic branch of the Army effective October 16, 2006 by AGO No. 30, January 12, 2007.

• Authorities:
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(13)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 30, dated 12 January 2007

Logistics: 1 January 2008

Logistics was established as a basic branch of the Army effective 1 January 2008 by General Orders No. 6, 27 November 2007.

• Authorities:
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(13)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 6, dated 27 November 2007

Cyber: 1 September 2014

Cyber was established as a basic branch of the Army effective 1 September 2014 by General Orders No. 63, 21 August 2014.

• Authorities:
• Title 10, United States Code, Section 3063 (a)(13)
• Department of the Army General Orders, No. 63, dated 21 August 2014