FORT JACKSON, S.C. \u2014 Soldiers and civilians of the 81st Readiness Division filled the auditorium Thursday to celebrate the United States Army Reserve\u2019s 118th birthday, marking more than a century of service to the nation.
\nMaj. Gen. Patricia Wallace, Commanding General of the 81st Readiness Division, delivered opening remarks, welcoming Soldiers and guests before introducing the event\u2019s guest speaker, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.<\/p>\n
\u201cGov. McMaster\u2019s commitment to public service is matched by his dedication to the Army and the Armed Forces,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cThroughout his career, he has shown unwavering support for our veterans, our first responders, and all service members and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n
McMaster reflected on his early memories of the Army and the discipline he learned on \u201cTank Hill,\u201d thanking Soldiers and Army Reserve members for choosing to serve despite the risks. He highlighted the courage, commitment and shared sacrifice that define military service, citing the Declaration of Independence and President Abraham Lincoln\u2019s Gettysburg Address. McMaster praised service members and first responders as the backbone of the nation and noted South Carolina\u2019s long, proud military heritage before thanking Soldiers for including him in the observance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I\u2019ve learned as governor, and in other offices I\u2019ve had the privilege of holding and serving, is that it\u2019s the men and women in uniform \u2014 whether Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, police, first responders or farmers \u2014 who have their feet firmly on the ground and constitute the backbone and strength of our country,\u201d McMaster said.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Dr. Allen Skinner, command historian for the U.S. Army Soldier Support Institute, delivered a brief historical overview highlighting the Army Reserve\u2019s 118 years of service and evolution as part of the total force, followed by remarks from Retired Brig. Gen. Peggy McManus.<\/p>\n
Celebrating 118 years under the theme \u201cTwice the Citizen,\u201d the Army Reserve remains a critical component of the total force in a complex global environment. The Army provides the bulk of sustainment to the joint force, much of it within the Army Reserve, enabling the joint force to deploy, fight and win. Army Reserve Soldiers balance civilian careers with military service, demonstrating resilience, adaptability and readiness while serving their communities and the nation.<\/p>\n
The ceremony included a solemn recognition of the missing and fallen service members table, underscoring the Army\u2019s commitment to honoring those who have not returned. It also paid tribute to six Army Reserve Soldiers from the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command who were killed March 1, 2026, in an enemy drone strike while deployed in support of operations in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday is not simply about marking another year; it\u2019s about honoring a legacy. And before we celebrate where we are today, we must first remember how we got here,\u201d McManus said. \u201cI ask you to take a moment to reflect on those who came before us, those who wore this uniform, those who stood watch and those who never came home. We do not honor this birthday without first honoring their sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event concluded with the traditional cake-cutting ceremony, symbolizing the Army Reserve\u2019s enduring legacy and continued commitment to service.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe story of the Army Reserve is not written only in history books \u2014 it is written in courage, commitment and sacrifice,\u201d McManus said. \u201cAs we reflect on our past and prepare for our future, we return to one defining truth: We are the Army Reserve. Happy birthday, Army Reserve. May you continue to serve with pride, honor and dignity. Twice the Citizen, Combat Ready, This We\u2019ll Defend.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FORT JACKSON, S.C. \u2014 Soldiers and civilians of the 81st Readiness Division filled the auditorium Thursday to celebrate…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":603871,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,3,21,19,22,20,25,24],"class_list":["post-603870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-states","tag-america","tag-news","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/603870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=603870"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/603870\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/603871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=603870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=603870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=603870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}