Armed Forces Day Honors Active-Duty Military
Armed Forces Day, celebrated on the third Saturday in May, is set aside each year to honor all active-duty members across all six branches of the United States. Falling near the end of Armed Forces Week – which begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May – it is an opportunity for the public to show their appreciation for the dedicated service of those serving our country as part of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force.
President Harry S. Truman, in his proclamation of the first Armed Forces Day to be celebrated on May 20, 1950, saw it as “fitting and proper that we devote one day each year to paying tribute to the Armed Forces as the servants and protectors of our Nation.” Truman began his effort to establish this commemoration in hopes of uniting citizens to show gratitude toward the country’s military at a time when changes were taking place within the military and Cold War tensions were beginning to rise. On August 10, 1949, Truman signed an amendment to the National Security Act that merged the Department of War and the Department of the Navy into the United States Department of Defense. Later that same month – on August 29th – the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb. In the aftermath of World War II and facing new international challenges, showcasing a unified national defense and honoring the personnel responsible for that defense was paramount.
Much has changed in the years since the first Armed Forces Day in 1950, and yet much remains the same. While the Coast Guard and Space Force have since been added to the four primary branches of the military – Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines – the U.S. military remains a unified protective force for our nation…and its personnel equally as deserving of recognition and appreciation.
In 2026, there are 1.33 million active-duty military service members in the U.S. Armed Forces, and approximately 13-14% of active-duty troops are stationed outside of the 50 states. There are also more than 770,000 personnel actively serving in the National Guard and Reserves. Of that number, South Dakota is proud to be home to approximately 3,250 to 3,800 active-duty military personnel stationed within our state, primarily assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City. South Dakota also has a high population of reserve forces, with approximately 6,700 National Guard and reserve members, resulting in a combined total of nearly 10,000 active-duty military personnel among its residents.
It’s important to realize that less than 1% of the total U.S. population is currently on active duty in our nation’s military, and those men and women bear a heavy responsibility in maintaining and protecting the rest of us. Our nation observes Armed Forces Day to honor their commitment and service. SDHC is proud to extend our gratitude to those actively serving in the United States Armed Forces and their families, not just for one day in May, but every day throughout the year.