VETERANS PRESS: Military facts that may surprise you (16-20)
16) Most U.S. Presidents served in the Army: Before taking up their roles as Commander in Chief, 31 of the 46 U.S. Presidents served in some branch of the military. The Army boasts the most presidential alumni with 16. Obviously serving in the military isn’t required, but it makes sense considering that the president is effectively the leader of the U.S. Armed Forces.
17) The Medal of Honor dates back to Abraham Lincoln: In the 1800s, Senator James Grimes of Iowa created a bill to promote the efficiency of the navy and create the Medal of Honor. President Lincoln was the first president to officially sign the bill into effect. 200 medals were originally produced, and the first was awarded in 1862. Today, more than 3,500 soldiers have been awarded. The most notable of these recipients is former president Theodore Roosevelt.
18) The Army burns an insane amount of fuel: If you think your truck guzzles gas, it’s got nothing on military usage. A 2011 study found that the Army uses about 22 gallons of fuel per soldier per day. This adds up to nearly a billion gallons per year. It takes a lot of power to run complex and powerful military vehicles.
19) Military cemeteries and memorials make great destinations: Our nation sports 26 permanent military cemeteries and 32 federal memorials, many of which are in beautiful and historic destinations like Washington, D.C., or foreign countries like Belgium and France. These destinations make for great additions to vacations, allowing you to balance somber history with fun sight-seeing.
20) There is a massive worldwide network of U.S. Military installations: In order to maintain its interests, the U.S. Military has a vast array of personnel deployed in over 150 countries around the world. In 2005, there was an estimated 737 military bases in foreign countries. Japan has the most currently active bases with 120, but Germany follows it with a close 119. South Korea comes in third with 73.
BONUS: The United States has military bases in at least 74 countries | There are more than 800 military bases around the world. This is more than any other country in history.
Bottom Line
The U.S. Armed forces are an ever-changing, multi-faceted set of systems, the scope of which is hard to comprehend. However, this means there is a treasure trove of fascinating things to discover. We hope this list has given you some insights into a few pockets of its complexity and helped you appreciate how powerful and historical these systems are.