 On May 3, 1802, Washington D.C. was incorporated as our nation's capital city. On the same day, the District of Columbia National Guard was born. Originally founded as the D.C. militia, its central purpose was to defend the federal government, the nation's capital, and its people from foreign and domestic threats. Following the establishment of the city itself and the establishment of the D.C. National Guard itself as a militia, in October, about six months later, was the very first opportunity that the National Guard had to assemble for the very first time. On October 30, the D.C. militia held their first formation and drill, likely near present-day Walt Whitman Park. Today, the District of Columbia National Guard commemorates the 220th anniversary of the first muster, and they honor the dedication and sacrifice of their forebears. The first and foremost is that it was 220 years ago. That is not insignificant. Most of us don't have institutions in the United States that date back that far. And also just remembering that our country was quite young at that time, and we were still forming these really basic organizations. So really, as a National Guard, even to today, those drill weekends, those unit assemblies are really where we have our opportunity, as people dedicated to serving this country and its community, as we come together, meet one another, and then share that sense of community and pride and service. Those first musters are really something that everyone should recognize and appreciate as significant dates in our history. The history of the D.C. National Guard and its service members survives in the lineage, honors, and heraldry of its units, like the 372nd Military Police Battalion. Attached to its organizational colors are streamers that represent every campaign in which it served, dating all the way back to the War of 1812. Those honors demonstrate that the story of the D.C. National Guard is indelibly tied to the history of the nation, its capital city, and its communities. Members of the District of Columbia National Guard are part of the community. And what it means to me is members of the community volunteering to be something, to be a part of something greater than themselves. Being a part of the D.C. Militia, a part of the D.C. National Guard, working regular jobs, being regular Americans, becoming together for a common cause to protect the capital and defend the nation. And we've been doing so since 1802, the first muster. The service members of the D.C. National Guard are bound together by that cause and by their shared history. On this day, the 220th anniversary of the first muster, the D.C. National Guard commemorates and honors not only its service members, but also the families and communities who have supported them since 1802.