The United States Army is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military. The Army was originally founded in 1775, and celebrated its 235th birthday on June 14, 2010. The Army’s primary mission is to fight and win our Nation’s wars by providing prompt, sustained land dominance across the full range of military operations and spectrum of conflict in support of combatant commanders. Throughout history, the Army (comprised of active-duty, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers), has not only been active in times of war, but also in times of peace, providing humanitarian aid and support both in the U.S. and abroad.

The core values of the U.S. Army are loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, personal courage, and leadership; values that are exemplified by Army Strong Soldiers. Today, the Army has 255,000 Soldiers deployed in nearly 80 countries around the world, with 140,000 Soldiers in active combat theaters. To fulfill the requirements of today’s missions, the Army has more than 710,000 Soldiers on active duty. Additionally, 258,000 Army Civilians are performing critical missions in support of the Army and more than 4,100 Civilians and 33,000 U.S. contractors are also deployed performing vital missions abroad.

The Army is comprised of three primary commands, the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Army Material Command (AMC), and the Forces Command (FORSCOM). TRADOC is responsible for the recruitment, training and education of Army Soldiers; AMC provides technology and acquisition support, and FORSCOM trains, mobilizes, deploys and sustains forces, providing relevant and ready land power. The Army has 51 bases in the U.S. that house and train the thousands of men and women who work within these commands.

The Army’s Accessions Command, located at Fort Knox, Ky., is part of the TRADOC command. Accessions Command meets the human resource needs of the Army by transforming volunteers into officers, warrant officers, and enlisted Soldiers. Additionally, the Army’s Accessions Command is responsible for supporting the Army’s involvement with NASCAR and NHRA programs.

The U.S. Army became the official partner of Stewart-Hass Racing and the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet driven by Ryan Newman in October 2009. The relationship is one of many facets used to connect with Americans and define what it means to be Army Strong.

The Army is actively engaged at racetracks across the country providing Americans with an interactive and first-hand glance at what options and opportunities exist for Army Soldiers and what it means to be Army Strong.

For more information on the Army and its support of NASCAR, visit www.goarmy.com.