Armed Forces Day

May 13, 2021

Any day is a great day to celebrate the men and women in the military who valiantly “serve and protect” America. Armed Forces Day, which is held on May 15 this year, is an opportunity for Americans to recognize the valor of our armed forces and to reflect upon the past and present service of our dedicated warriors across all branches of military service.

You can share in the experience of military service by visiting the Government Publishing Office Bookstore Armed Forces collection of books about the storied history of our United States Armed Forces, from Revolutionary times until today, featuring the US Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and the National Guard. Seeking out military subscriptions to own, published by the Armed Forces & Military Branches?  Check out the abundance of military magazines & journals also featured on the online bookstore.

Plus, you’ll find military branch eBooks in this collection. Most are available for a low cost, and some are even free.

Let the celebration begin by visiting our Armed Forces collection here.

And next time you see an American in uniform, it never gets old for them to hear, “thank you for your service!”

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.  Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Center of Military History, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marines, U.S. National Guard, U.S. Navy | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Armed Forces Day – May 19

May 17, 2018

Armed Forces Day is a day to pay tribute to the men and women who serve the United States Armed Forces.  Armed Forces Day, which is celebrated on the third Saturday in May, is part of Armed Forces Week.

It was with the idea for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country that President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish this single holiday. The one-day celebration then stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.

Many events across the United States take place on Armed Forces Day to honor Americans in uniform who served their country in times of war and peace. Those who are honored on this day include people who serve the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. National Guard and Reserve units may celebrate Armed Forces Day/Week over any period in May because of their unique training schedules.

The U.S. Government Bookstore offers hundreds of publications describing the honorable work of our nation’s military. To better understand the challenges facing our senior officers and civilians engaged in managing national security, here are a few examples to give everyday Americans a better appreciation.

Managing Military Readiness. Understanding the limits of the Nation’s ability to generate and deploy ready military forces is a basic element of national security. It is also the element most likely to be taken for granted or assumed away, despite ample historical evidence of the human and operational costs imposed by such an error. As budgets shrink and threats grow more diverse, national security leaders need a specific accounting of the readiness limits of the force and the consequences of those limits, as well as the insight to make timely and effective mitigation decisions.

The Armed Forces Officer. In the second decade of the 21st century, our nation is confronted with a volatile and complex security environment, and addressing the challenges of our time place new demands on military leaders at all levels. Those in the Profession of Arms will continue to adapt training and education programs to provide our officers with the intellectual and practical tools necessary to succeed in this unpredictable and unstable world. This new edition of The Armed Forces Officer articulates the ethical and moral underpinnings at the core of the military profession. The special trust and confidence America places on our warriors to protect is built upon this foundation.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of Defense, National Guard, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marines, U.S. National Guard, U.S. Navy | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

A Force Behind ‘Total Force’

December 11, 2015

December 13th is recognized as the birthday of the National Guard. A historic military organization that began in 1636 as a Massachusetts colonial regiment, it is now the oldest constituent of the U.S. Armed Forces. You could say that it’s the grandfather of citizen-soldier reserve components such as the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

With that birth story in mind, let’s turn our heads to AATC, a U.S. Air Force aircraft test facility located in Tucson, Arizona. It’s the subject of a gov pub entitled “Relevance Through Innovation: The History of the Air National Guard-Air Force Reserve Command Test Center (AATC).” It is an innovation hub for airmen and civilians from Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and the Air Force to find “cost-effective but cutting edge technology to improve the ARC’s combat capability and add value to the Total Force.”

008-070-00866-1The book details the testing facility’s inception, workforce challenges, leadership changes, and milestones. Over the years, AATC has endeavored to use new and old tech approaches to produce combat capability improvements. The mettle of a modernized mission-ready fleet is tested at this highly functional proving ground.

Author David P. Anderson writes of AATC’s extensive history: “It illustrates the true spirit of innovation that helped it acquire and sustain operation relevance to the Air Force.” When you read the book, you begin to appreciate how the facility represents more than just testing and technology. Several chapters touch upon the many years it took for AATC to cultivate its strengths and overcome the limitations of bureaucracy.

The facility is a success story of military transformation. Through testing and evaluation, AATC equips a fighting force to protect and defend the United States. Talk about a considerable force behind ‘Total Force.’

How do I obtain this publication?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | National Guard, U.S. Air Force, U.S. National Guard | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Honoring our Nation’s Military

July 28, 2015

armedforceslogo

While there are many holidays during the course of the year honoring our brave men and women in uniform, we sometimes don’t need a special day to say “thank-you” for all they do for our country. To help celebrate the accomplishments of the armed forces, the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) offers a wide variety of publications and resources on our nation’s military.

In GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys), you can find a variety of documents related to the military. For example, the official record of President Obama’s authentication of Military Spouse Appreciation Day for May 8th is available, and you can read the President’s remarks on military members and their families. There is also a proclamation by President Obama entitled Armed Forces Day, 2015, where he thanks our military service members for their dedication to the United States and establishes May 16th as Armed Forces Day. Another document of interest is the Congressional Hearing regarding providing support for Veterans. The hearing, “From Military Service to Small Business Owners: Supporting America’s Veteran Entrepreneurs,” centers around giving veterans more opportunity and training in terms of running a business. By searching “Armed Forces Day” in FDsys, you can look at the various proclamations made by past Presidents, as well as any other related documents.

Using GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) you can access many military-related documents and publications. For example, a paper from the National Defense University titled “China Moves Out: Stepping Stones toward a new Maritime Strategy,” details the evolving tactics employed by the Chinese in their naval defense of their territory. For the techies, you might enjoy the free eBook, “Army Support of Military Cyberspace Operations: Joint Contexts and Global Escalation Implications.” Another piece of interest is called “New Realities: Energy Security in the 2010s and Implications for the U.S. Military.” This document from the U.S. Army War College focuses on the evolution of energy markets throughout the world and how the U.S. armed forces would likely respond. Search the CGP for other military-related documents and publications.

GPO also offers a great collection of military magazines and journals on its U.S. Government Bookstore. From a monthly subscription about the Navy to a single issue on the Air Force, the GPO Bookstore has every publication you need to stay up-to-date on our Nation’s armed forces. Some of the best-sellers include:

MILITARYREVIEWMAY2015108Military Review – An Army-written bimonthly publication focusing on the ever-changing tactics of land warfare.

SPECIALWARFAREAPRIL2015093Special Warfare – Aims to discuss various special-operations forces strategies, doctrine, and more (released by the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg).

Layout 1Citizen Airman – Revolves around the various news and articles published by the Air Force Reserves for commercial media.

708-090-00077-8Joint Force Quarterly: A Professional Military Journal – Designed for national security professionals in and out of the U.S. Government to promote understanding of the integrated employment of land, sea, air, pace, and special operations forces.

Approach_2015_May-June_Page_01Approach: The Navy & Marine Corps Aviation Safety Magazine – Contains stories, editorials, and accurate information currently available on the subject of aviation accident prevention and safety practices.

 

 

 

While you relax poolside or next to the grill this summer, stay connected with GPO, and stay connected with the country.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

You can obtain the resources mentioned in this blog by clicking on the links above or through any of these methods:

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Giovanni Salvatori is a Summer Intern in GPO’s  Library Services & Content Management office.

 

Leave a Comment » | Center of Military History, Department of Defense, Military History, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marines, U.S. National Guard, U.S. Navy | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

“It was very surreal”: Katrina and the National Guard

May 7, 2010

The Gulf Coast is in the news again these days, so it seemed appropriate to write about a new account of the last time disaster struck there. In Katrina’s Wake: The National Guard on the Gulf Coast, 2005 is a concise account of the Guard’s massive relief efforts. Even after five years, the numbers are hard to assimilate: more than $125,000,000,000 in property destroyed, almost 2,000 killed in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and 80 percent of one of America’s great cities flooded. The first-person accounts of Guard personnel and the photos of flooding and rooftop evacuations by helicopter vividly conjure up those grim days.

In Katrina’s Wake was written by the National Guard Bureau’s Historical Services Division, which helps to set some of the events of that time in context. For example, I remember reading about what seemed to be a legalistic discussion as to whether the various state National Guard contingents sent to the Gulf ought to be federalized. The authors point out that keeping the various Guard units under the control of the state governors under the auspices of Title 32 allows the Guard to exercise police powers in an emergency, while the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the military and federalized National Guard troops from doing so. This key distinction was crucial when the New Orleans police force collapsed under the stress of disaster.

The book also highlights small moments: the flooding of the Louisiana Guard’s historic Jackson Barracks; the pathetic story of Snowball the dog and its impact on changing the “no pets” policy of the red Cross and other relief agencies; and the Ohio Guard contingent greeted by a local citizen who started unloading cans of juice and snacks from his truck to give to the Guardsmen. One Guardsman’s response: “We’re here to help you – not the other way around.”

In Katrina’s Wake is a brief but effective account of something that went right during the devastation of the Gulf Coast, when so much else went tragically wrong.

3 Comments | National Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by govbooktalk

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