When we assumed the Soldier, we did not lay aside the Citizen; and we shall most sincerely rejoice with you in the happy hour when the establishment of American Liberty, upon the most firm and solid foundations shall enable us to return to our Private Stations in the bosom of a free, peacefully and happy Country. - George Washington, letter to the New York Legislature, 1775
One of the hallmarks of the American military is the post-Vietnam integration of the Army-Air National Guards into the Active Force. The reason was simple and to the point: never again would America send her troops overseas without engaging its' Guard (and to a lesser extent, Reserve) components, a major issue during Vietnam when many an American signed up for Guard/Reserve duty in order to escape serving overseas. Washington above points out that the American citizen-soldier would be the backbone of the Revolutionary Army and that, once hostilities ended, they would gladly lay down their arms and return to their farms and communities.
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