The Chief's Corner

The Army at 250

By Charles R. Bowery Jr.

Article published on: December 1, 2025 in the Army History Winter 2025 Issue

Read Time: < 4 mins

As you read this issue of Army History, excitement and interest continue to build toward the June 2025 semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) of the establishment of the United States Army. Across the Army, work is underway to plan for and execute this milestone event. This commemoration offers us the opportunity to reconsider the Army’s foundational role in the creation of our republic. The Army was our first transnational institution, established by the Continental Congress in 1775, and it has maintained an unbroken lineage of service that bridges from the revolution to the present day.

To headline the Army’s 250th birthday, the National Museum of the United States Army will open its blockbuster temporary exhibition, Call to Arms: The Soldier and the Revolutionary War, in early June 2025. This 5,000-square-foot landmark exhibit, much of which has come together thanks to ongoing partnerships with Great Britain, France, and Canada, will be on display until 2027 and will feature more than 285 objects, many of which never have been seen by the public. The artifacts will enrich multimedia experiences and firsthand accounts of strategy, campaigns, battles, social and political change, and public memory of the revolution. By using personal artifacts and compelling stories, the Call to Arms exhibit will uncover the revolutionary soldier’s daily experiences, leading to a deeper understanding of why soldiers served and for what they believed they were fighting. The exhibit also will incorporate the experiences of the British and French armies, Native Americans, and noncombatants into a uniquely comprehensive and compelling storyline. The National Museum remains free and open to the public 364 days every year, so stop by or check out our full schedule of virtual programs at www.thenmusa.org.

The Center of Military History will be publishing a revised edition of Centuries of Service, which originally was written by David J. Hogan in 2000 in celebration of the Army’s 225th birthday. In this revision, Hogan provides a retrospective look at the Army’s history and legacies, incorporating more recent conflicts, to come to grips with what the Army has meant to the nation over time and to show how the Army has seen itself and its missions.

Meanwhile, Headquarters, Department of the Army, continues to develop plans for major national commemorations around the key date of 14 June 2025. Stay tuned to our website, https://history.army. mil, as well as to our social media feeds for further information on these events, and let’s get ready to celebrate the Army at 250 in style.

Left: This highly attractive horn stands out because of its striking carvings of the soldier’s name and its unique pattern of vines and leaves. Made in Brimfield, Massachusetts, where many horns were produced, it is inscribed with “JOHN BOND” and the date “MAY/1779.” On 4 July 1775, John Bond enlisted in Capt. Gideon Foster’s Company of Col. John Mansfield’s Regiment at Cambridge. Bond remained in the war, serving at Bennington in 1777, and finally was discharged from the Continental Army on 23 January 1780.
Right: This standard belonged to Samuel B. Webb’s Additional Continental Regiment, which was formed on 11 January 1777. Raised in Connecticut, Webb’s unit was one of the sixteen newly authorized additional regiments.

Adrian G. Traas (1934–2024)

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Adrian G. Traas, 90, of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away on Saturday, 14 September 2024. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Traas received his education at schools in Milwaukee and Delafield, Wisconsin, completing high school at St. John’s Military Academy in Delafield. He received his Army commission and bachelor’s degree in history from Marquette University and a master’s degree in history from Texas A&M University. His military education included the engineer basic and advanced courses, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the Air War College. Colonel Traas served in a variety of command and staff positions as an officer in the Corps of Engineers from 1957 to 1989. He was a company commander of engineer units in Korea and at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as well as a post commander of engineers in Verona, Italy. Additionally, he served as an executive officer and commanding officer of the 64th Engineer Battalion, headquartered in Leghorn, Italy. He also worked on mapping projects in Ethiopia, Liberia, and Iran. Traas served as an assistant professor of military science at both Texas A&M and Marquette and as the chief of the Combat Support Branch and a staff officer in the Concepts and Studies Division at the U.S. Army Engineer School at Fort Belvoir. He served two tours in Vietnam and, before his retirement, was a historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History. While at the Center, he authored several books and monographs, including Engineers at War in the U.S. Army in Vietnam series; two monographs in the U.S. Army Campaigns of the Vietnam War series, Turning Point and Transition; and From the Golden Gate to Mexico City: The U.S. Army Topographical Engineers in the Mexican War , 1846–1848. His burial, with full military honors, took place at Arlington National Cemetery on 15 January 2025.

New Publication From AUSA

On 25 September, the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) released the latest entry in its Medal of Honor graphic novel series, Medal of Honor: Charles Whittlesey. Maj. Charles W. Whittlesey commanded the famed “Lost Battalion” during World War I. On 2 October 1918, he led more than 500 soldiers in an advance against the German line during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In the face of superior numbers, the American troops were surrounded by the enemy and cut off from their division. Whittlesey overcame the lack of supplies and mounting casualties to hold out for five days before reinforcements finally arrived. Those interested can view or download the graphic novel for free at www.ausa.org/whittlesey.