U.S Army Medical Recruiting Station -Birmingham

June is Men’s Health Month – what better time to draw attention to men’s unique risks for certain conditions, and encourage men to stay on top of their health.

Leading Health Concerns for Men
While many of the top health threats for men and women are similar, men hold certain unique risks like prostate cancer. Consider the following facts about common health issues for men:

Heart Disease
Heart disease is responsible for about 1 in every 4 deaths in men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A higher percentage of men (50%) have high blood pressure – a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke – than women (44%).
Even if you have no heart disease symptoms, you may still be at risk.

Cancer
Men are more likely to get cancer than women, according to the CDC.
Cancers that most often affect men include: prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and skin cancer.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men other than skin cancer. The American Cancer Society reports that most prostate cancers are found in men over the age of 65.

Stroke
In addition to being a leading cause of death, stroke is a top cause of long-term disability. The CDC reports that men under the age of 44 are hospitalized for ischemic stroke more often than women of the same age group.

Take Charge of Your Health for Men’s Health Month
In addition to delaying routine healthcare, men are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol and make unhealthy or risky choices. But it’s never too late to build healthier habits. Beyond omitting to***co and drinking in moderation – exercising regularly and eating healthy can help control blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight, lowering the risk for many serious conditions. If you’re due a check-up, take charge of your health by seeking guidance from your healthcare provider about what preventive care and which screening tests are medically appropriate for you.

Today, one of the oldest basic branches in the U.S. Army, the Adjutant General's Corps celebrates its 247th birthday. While its origins and mission date back to the American Revolution and the formation of the Continental Army, today’s AG Soldiers use technology to provide the best in manpower, HR and music support to commanders in order to enhance readiness at all echelons and ensure success across the full spectrum of military operations.

Today, June 14, is Flag Day. While not a federal holiday, it’s a time set aside to honor the Stars and Stripes and the role the flag plays in American history.

The day of the holiday – June 14th – is no accident. June 14 is observed as Flag Day each year because, on June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes for the flag of the U.S. In 1885, a school teacher by the name of Bernard J. Cigrand encouraged his students to reflect on the symbolism behind the American flag. He eventually came up with the idea to establish an annual observance for the nation’s flag and penned an article called the “Fourteenth of June” in the Chicago Argus newspaper. To this day, Cigrand is regarded as the “Father of Flag Day.”

“First to fight for the right, and to build the Nation’s might, and The Army Goes Rolling Along, Proud of all we have done, Fighting till the battle’s won, and the Army Goes Rolling Along.”

On June 14th, 2022, the US Army will celebrate its 247th birthday! There are 479,785 serving in the active duty Army, 336,392 serving in the Army National Guard, and 282,884 serving in the Army Reserve. The US Army has fought in every war since the Revolutionary War.

The Army was established on June 14th, 1775 as the Continental Army that could represent all 13 colonies. It was considered America’s first national institution.

George Washington was selected as the first Commander in Chief in 1775, and in 1776, with the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Army and the militia became known as the Army of the United States. In 1784, after the Revolutionary War, congress ordered the last Continental Army to disband and the remaining soldiers were discharged. It did retain two companies which became the 1st American Regiment for national service.

In 1789, the Department of War was created. In 1798, congress created the “Provisional Army” of 10,000 men, and in 1799, they created the “Eventual Army” of 30,000 men.

When the Civil War started, the Confederate States formed the Confederate States Army and the Union, the Union Army. After the Civil War, the US Army had the mission of containing western tribes of Native Americans on the Indian Reservations. They also occupied several Southern states to protect freedmen during the reconstruction era.

The US joined WWI in 1917 and US troops were sent to the Western Front. After the Armistice in 1918, the Army decreased its forces. By 1939, the Army had between 174,000-200,000 soldiers and worked to expand and modernize in order to prepare for war. They joined World War II in December of 1941, where 11 million Americans served in different Army operations.

The Total Force Policy was adopted after the Vietnam War which treated the regular Army, the Army National Guard, and the Army Reserve as a single force.

The National Guard’s birthday is actually December 13th, 1636, which was the date the first militia regiments in North America were organized in Massachusetts. The widespread use of the name “National Guard” didn’t happen until after the Civil War. It was in 1933 that Congress amended the National Defense Act with the creation of the National Guard of the US, a separate reserve component of the US Army. The Army Reserve was created on April 23, 1908.

It is also important to note that the Air Force was once a part of the US Army, until 1947 when it became its own branch.

MEN'S HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

Wear BLUE Day is June 16.

Whether it is your friend, brother, dad, boyfriend, spouse or boss, show them you care about them and their health by wearing blue. Men live sicker and die younger. Wear BLUE was created to raise awareness about the importance of male health and to encourage men to live longer and healthier lives.

Anchored by a Congressional health education program, Men's Health Month is celebrated across the country with screenings, health fairs, media appearances, and other health education and outreach activities.

The purpose of Men's Health Month is to heighten awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This month gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. The response has been overwhelming with thousands of awareness activities in the USA and around the globe.

Get financial support and other incentives to help you navigate the unique and challenging opportunities of medical school and serve on the Army Medical team. Give us a call today at 256-450-9634 for more information.

Today, we commemorate the anniversary of D-Day and remember the brave Soldiers who gave their lives 78 years ago striving to end N**i Germany’s fight to dominate Europe. D-Day, or Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Western Europe, brought together the Allies' land, air and sea forces in the largest invasion force in human history.

It established June as Army Heritage Month, centered around the Army birthday on June 14. The Army was founded on this date in 1775 when the Continental Congress authorized the enlistment of expert riflemen to serve in the American Continental Army.

June is National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month, and is intended to raise public awareness about issues related to PTSD, reduce the stigma associated with PTSD, and help ensure that those suffering from the invisible wounds of war receive proper treatment.

United States National Maritime Day

National Maritime Day is a United States holiday created to recognize the maritime industry. It is observed on May 22, the date in 1819 that the American steamship Savannah set sail from Savannah, Georgia on the first ever transoceanic voyage under steam power. The holiday was created by the United States Congress on May 20, 1933.

On May 22, 2002, the Military Sealift Command observed National Maritime Day with a memorial service held in Washington, DC. Rear Adm. David L. Brewer III, Commander, Military Sealift Command, and Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy, tossed a wreath into the Anacostia River at the Washington Navy Yard in honor of fallen mariners.[1]

In 2013, National Maritime Day was celebrated with family picnics and boat tours at the Port of San Diego, and with maritime career fairs in Seattle and the Port of Baltimore, as well as with traditional memorial ceremonies.[2]

On May 22, 2016, the Baltimore events were held at the NS Savannah, Pier 13 of the Canton Marine Terminal in Baltimore, Maryland. Boy Scout Explorer Post # 0438, a re-enactment group representing the First Baltimore Sharpshooters, a.k.a. Aisquith's Sharpshooters, was there in replica uniforms. Battle of North Point Many other groups, both businesses, non-profit groups, and educational groups were present. Docked alongside the NS Savannah was the Golden Bear (ship), a training ship from California that was built nearby in Bethlehem Steel in Sparrows Point, Maryland, in 1986.

The History of Armed Forces Day

On Aug. 31, 1949, Defense Secretary Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the armed forces under one agency -- the Department of Defense.

In a speech announcing the creation of the day, President Truman "praised the work of the military services at home and across the seas." He said, "It is vital to the security of the nation and to the establishment of a desirable peace."

In an excerpt from the Presidential Proclamation of Feb. 27, 1950, Truman stated:

"Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America's defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, toward the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense."

National Defense Transportation Day is a United States Federal Observance Day held on the third Friday in May. It was established by Congress in 1957, followed by the establishment of National Transportation Week in 1962. National Defense Transportation Day, this year falling on Friday May 20, and National Transportation Week, May 15-21, were established by Congress to ensure proper recognition of the professionals working in our Nation's transportation industries. This includes those service members and civilians across the joint force working to deliver the required equipment and infrastructure necessary for an effective and efficient national transportation capability.

Please take a moment to remember all of our Transportation Corps brothers and sisters, alive and deceased, and all of the contributions that they have made to our country and our Army.