Two American Institutions: The NYSE welcomes the United States Army on the Army's 247th Birthday

Just outside the New York Stock Exchange, on the steps of Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan, stands a statue of George Washington, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. The statue stands 12 feet 6 inches tall, a little more than twice the height of the man himself, who was 6 feet 2 in real life.

247 years ago today, on June 15, 1775, in response to the British march on Lexington and Concord, Washington received his commission from the Second Continental Congress. The army he was to command was formed one day earlier with this resolution:

“Resolved, That six companies of expert riflemen [sic], be immediately raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia; … [and] that each company, as soon as completed [sic], shall march and join the army near Boston, to be there employed as light infantry, under the command of the chief Officer in that army.”

This “continental” army, and its new complement of soldiers, would now represent all 13 colonies, making it America’s first national institution, formed more than a year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 247 years later, that fighting force remains on guard 24/7.

Far more than “six companies of expert riflemen,” today’s U.S. Army of over 1 million uniformed and 250,000 civilian men and women is ready, at a moment’s notice, just like the Minutemen 247 years ago, to fight for freedom and defend American interests whenever and wherever they’re threatened.

A cross section of those million men and women visited the NYSE yesterday to mark its milestone and update our Exchange leadership on the Army Modernization Strategy (AMS) that will transform it into a “multi-domain force” by 2035 as it retains its position as the globally dominant land power.

Leading the contingent in briefing NYSE President Lynn Martin, Vice Chairman John Tuttle, Chief Operating Officer Michael Blaugrund, Head of Listings Tara Dziedzic, and others was Gen. Edward M. Daly, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC).

But as Gen. Daly was quick to point out in our meeting in Siebert Hall, where he talked about the logistical challenges of supplying, as he said, "the best equipped, best trained, best manned fighting force the world has ever seen," he did not travel alone.

With him were soldiers like SFC Tyler Price, the AMC’s Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, SPC Christian Kerkado, the AMC’s Soldier of the Year, and SSG Naomi Graham, an Ammunition Specialist whose favorite weapon is her hands, as part of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team in Tokyo, Japan.

We listened intently as Price, Kerkado, and Graham told their stories. Sergeant Price emigrated from Seoul to Queens when he was six years old. His parents had so much gratitude for how the United States defended Korea that they hoped their son would serve. Sergeant Graham, always wanted to serve her country, as her mother and father had done, and enlisted, discovering boxing after joining the service.

In addition to these soldiers, Gen. Daly’s Army Materiel Command is comprised of 162,000 men and women, with operations in 18 states and 54 countries around the world. If the AMC were a publicly traded company on the NYSE, its size and scope would make it a member of the Fortune 500. But the AMC’s mission -- “setting the theater” to maintain dominance across crisis, competition, and conflict -- puts it in a class by itself, richly deserving the “clap on” they received on our trading floor yesterday.

From the first Commander-in-Chief and the first six companies of riflemen 247 years ago, to the million centurions who stand watch over our nation 24/7, the NYSE is always proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those who wear our country’s uniform.

Happy Birthday U.S. Army!