Tennessee department celebrates National Guard's 383rd birthday

Soldiers and airmen from the Tennessee Military Department gathered in the Hall of Flags at the Tennessee National Guard Headquarters to celebrate the reserve military force's 383rd birthday on Friday.

“It’s the oldest and one of the proudest military institutions in the United States,” Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes, Tennessee’s Adjutant General said in a press release. “First organized in 1636, this commemoration marks a milestone in our nation’s history.”

The National Guard is the only service component that has both a federal and a state mission, most noticeably, responding to natural disasters like hurricanes and floods. Maj. Gen. Holmes officiated over a cake-cutting ceremony with members of both the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard.