The Pine Bluff Arsenal celebrated the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday on Thursday with cake and a short speech by the post’s commander, Col. Collin K. Keenan.
Nearly 30 administrative and installation personnel gathered in the PBA’s Creasy Auditorium, located just outside the Plainview Gate, to hear Keenan talk about the creation of the Army (then called the Continental Army) on July 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Congress.
Other cake-cutting ceremonies included one for PBA’s Ammunition Operations and one for the Directorate of Chemical and Biological Defense. One was held at the PBA’s Child Development Center on June 11.
“We’re actually just a bit older than the nation,” Keenan said before adding that George Washington served as the Army’s first commander-in-chief before becoming the country’s first president.
Today “There are four key points that I want to highlight,” Keenan said.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
In addition to its pivotal role in the formation and defense of this country from the Revolutionary War to modern conflicts, Keenan said, “The Army has been central to defending American sovereignty. It helped secure our independence, preserve the Union during the Civil War, and protect global stability in two World Wars.”
The military is a driver of technological and economic progress.
For example, the unscrambling of GPS signals in 1992 under President Bill Clinton resulted in a technology that benefited the military, allowing for the pinpointing of the exact location of U.S. troops and enemies.
Later, it would prove exceedingly impactful to civilians.
“GPS impacts us in our daily lives, from our phones to the navigation systems in our cars,” Keenan said.
It also played a critical role in developing America’s internet access and driving medical advancements, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has facilitated infrastructure development such as clean water, levees, bridges, dams and more.
The Army is a large part of the nation’s “cultural identity…part of our fabric. It’s a symbol of service, sacrifice and unity. So in short, the Army hasn’t just protected the country. It has helped define what the country is,” Keenan said.
He said the PBA, established Nov. 2, 1941, has been part of the Army’s overall history for just over one-third, or 84 years, of its existence.
