The Army Turns 243 and It Shows

As of June 14th, the US Army celebrated its 243rd birthday which predates the US as a country. Approximately 1,016,000 men and women serve in the US Army, Reserves and National Guard. 24 of our Presidents served in the US Army and for many soldiers it is a noble calling. As less than 1% of American households have a family member in active service, and only 22% of US senators and congressional representatives have served in the military, all members of the US military and their families deserve our respect. 

However, there are facts about the Army that may surprise you.

According to AL.com:

• During World War II, supporting one soldier on the battlefield took one gallon of fuel per day. Today, the Army uses more than 22 gallons per day, per soldier.
• The Army has 158 installations worldwide; more than 132,000 miles of infrastructure for electric, gas, sewer and water; and over one billion square feet of office space.
• The Army owns more than 15 million acres of land across the United States, or about 24,000 square miles which, if the Army was a state, it would be the 42nd largest.
• The U.S Army is the second largest employer in the U.S.

Business Insider and other sources also have these interesting facts: 

• If the US Army were a city, it would be the 10th largest in the United States.
• The Army owns so much land that if it were a state, it would be larger than Hawaii and Massachusetts combined.
• The US Army Special Forces has 450,000 soldiers deployed to 135 of the 195 recognized countries of the world. 
• President Trump has asked for a budget of $186,403,156,000 for the US Army for FY 2019 which is a 16% increase from the year before.