08.26.06
We Have a Winner!
Sarah is the winner of the impromptu Armed Forces quiz! She’ll be receiving some DC fun this week in the mail.
For those interested, the five branches of the Armed Forces are: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. A lot of people, including me until about 2 months ago, think the fifth branch is the National Guard. The National Guard is actually the Army National Guard, and it grew out of the militias from the Revolutionary War. The Guard became part of the Army in 1933 after the passage of the The National Guard Mobilization Act.
The Coast Guard is the oldest organizations in the Federal government, and until the Navy was formed in the late 1700s, it was the only armed force afloat. The Coast Guard provides a number of different services to the nation’s waterways, including natigation aid, search and rescue, and to my knowledge, is the only branch of the armed forces with regulatory and (US) law enforcement powers.
So there you have it; a little history lesson on the US Armed Forces. Be on the lookout for another quiz in the near future!
Sarah HB said,
August 27, 2006 at 10:28 am
Wow, who knew having a girlfriend in the Coast Guard would win me a prize.
When she was here visiting in July, she showed me all kinds of photos from Katrina and all the work they did while in LA.
Thanks again!
dichroic said,
September 11, 2006 at 2:45 pm
There’s an Air National Guard too, part of the Air Force. Don’t know if the Navy has anything similar.