Birth of the U.S. Army
A band of riflemen, serving the American colonies in 1775, became the founding fathers of the United States Army. Twenty-seven years later, in 1802, a National Army school was established which still produces officers today. It is the world famous West Point Academy in West Point, New York. The U.S. Army operates strictly on a volunteer basis though in times of war compulsory military service can be enforced.