Photo By Airman 1st Class Elijah Harris-lariviere | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Brian Kearns, an engineer with the 182nd Engineer Company,...... read more read more
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SALEM, Mass.– Members with the Massachusetts National Guard returned to their ancestral birthplace April 11, 2026, to commemorate the 389th Anniversary of the first muster of the earliest militias.
The ceremony, held on the historic Salem Common, served as a powerful bridge between the Citizen-Soldiers of 1637 and the modern force currently serving at home and abroad. On December 13, 1636, the first militia regiments in North America were arranged based upon an order of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's General Court. The colony's first militia was organized into three permanent regiments to better defend the colony.
“I'm so proud of [our history],” said Brig. Gen. Richard Reale, the commander of the National Lancers. “The militia was representing and protecting the colony. The [National Guard’s] lineage falls directly to today. And if you look out on this field, you see all these men and women in uniform representing the regiments from the beginning. It's amazing that it's lasted this long and we're still carrying on the tradition.”
The first muster of the East Regiment, establishing the roots of the modern National Guard, occurred in 1637.
“The United States military, be it the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, or the Space Force, it all started here in Massachusetts,” said Maj. Gen. Gary Keefe, the Adjutant General of Massachusetts National Guard. “With that piece of payback that established the first three regiments, and then had them muster, show up to drill, that we can enable. So, everything we have in a country that defends our Constitution, is all based on the military, the United States military, starting here, in Salem, Massachusetts, with that first muster in April of 1637.”
A UH-72 Lakota helicopter from the 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, Massachusetts Army National Guard, landed on the Salem Common carrying the Massachusetts Army National Guard 2025 Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Staff Sgt. Brian Kearns, from the 182nd Engineer Company. Kearns ran and delivered a copy of the original act passed by the General Court of the Bay Colony on December 13th, 1636, establishing the North, South, and East Regiments, to the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Honorable Kim Driscoll.
“This event represents the beginning of our military history,” said Reale. “I think a lot of people don't realize so much has come out of Massachusetts. [The history of the National Guard] began here. I think everybody should take advantage of this moment in time and celebrate it every year. It's truly what we're built on.”
The four present-day Massachusetts Army National Guard Units assembled on the Common trace their lineage to the original regiments that first mustered here 389 years ago. These Citizen-Soldiers represent the same militia who fought at Lexington and Concord, firing the first shots of the American Revolution on April 19, 1775.
“This muster is such a source of pride for Salem residents to know that the birthplace of the National Guard started here on this green space with regular, ordinary people who were just interested in protecting themselves and their families, and that collective action led to our modern-day military,” said Driscoll.
Mustering alongside the first Army Guard units were the 102nd Intelligence Wing, the 104th Fighter Wing, the 215th Army Band, the Second Corps of Cadets, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, the Co A, 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the State Retired List Massachusetts Organized Militia, the National Lancers, and others.
“It is a privilege to take part in the first muster, standing where generations before us first answered the call to serve,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Sean Dowd, the senior enlisted leader at the 104th Fighter Wing Headquarters. “This moment is more than a ceremony, it is a living connection to the courage, sacrifice, and enduring legacy of the Massachusetts National Guard. To honor that history is to reaffirm our own commitment to duty, community, and country.”
Lt. Robert Mahoney, the training officer for the Massachusetts Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, is a retired police sergeant and served in the United States military for 9 years, six of those in the active duty Air Force and three years in the National Guard.
“Every member here does this because they love this country,” said Mahoney. “I had the opportunity to join the company and to keep important history alive by doing events like [the Salem First Muster],” said Mahoney. “[The Muster] keeps that history alive and reminds the public and the military members of what we stand for.”
The Salem First Muster is a reminder that the National Guard is part of a lineage that had begun on this very soil nearly four centuries ago. As the ceremony concluded with the traditional march off the Common, the message was clear: while the technology and uniforms have changed, the fundamental promise to protect the community remains unshakable.
| Date Taken: | 04.12.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.14.2026 09:16 |
| Story ID: | 562531 |
| Location: | SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 9 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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