We’d say the United States Army is celebrating its 241st birthday in grand fashion, and for them, that would be an accurate descriptor, but for anyone else? It would be hardboiled and way too intense.
But this is the U.S. Army we’re talking about. Not the Cub Scouts. We’re dealing with the largest branch of the finest fighting force in all the world, and if they’re going to celebrate with sugar and sweets, they’re not going to simply dive in.
They’re going to temper it with discipline, action, and good ole fashioned hard work. You know, working out like a complete animal.
So, in conjunction with the date of their birth (that day in 1775 when the Continental Congress created an organized infantry from the colonies to take on the tyrannical hand of King George and big boy England) they launched a social media campaign with the keystone being the following hashtag: #EarnYourCake.
In other words, eat that big slab of buttery iced goodness, just make your sure you sweated a storm and burned a few thousand calories doing crunches, pushups, pull-ups and enough cardio to break a human-sized hamster wheel.
Let’s go around the internet and see the stuff that was posted by Army supporters, veterans and active-duty members from all over the world with this sculpted, ripped hashtag …
Hope you're ready for PT on Tuesday @USAMurphy #smadailey ! Can't wait to celebrate #ArmyBDay! #EarnYourCake @USArmy pic.twitter.com/iu5UjK1Qcc
— Robert Irvine (@RobertIrvine) June 10, 2016
@USAMurphy @USArmy @UnderSecArmyPA @SECARMY This is how we earn our cake in Torun, Poland! #Anakonda16 #EarnYourCake pic.twitter.com/Se1N7rvMVg
— 16th SB (@16thSustBde) June 12, 2016
.@16thSustBde can't #earnyourcake w/fancy 🎥 edits. OMW ➡️ Torun 2 verify you're #armystrong #Anakonda16 @NICKIMINAJ pic.twitter.com/XR589Yi8Wj
— Eric Fanning (@SecArmy22) June 13, 2016
.@USArmyEurope earned its cake, now it's going to eat it too. Happy 241st birthday US Army. #ArmyBDay #EarnYourCake pic.twitter.com/4YDnvuEBej
— U.S. Army Europe and Africa (@USArmyEURAF) June 14, 2016
.@USArmy Soldiers celebrate the #ArmyBday with PT during #CentralAccord 2016 in Gabon. #EarnYourCake pic.twitter.com/AWXnDcPA7b
— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) June 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/FtBraggNC/status/742693377372721152
Run. Jump. Climb. 💪🏼
Before you celebrate #ArmyBday, you’ve got to #EarnYourCake!#StayFit #Readiness pic.twitter.com/GqiNanwuQQ
— GoArmy (@GoArmy) June 14, 2016
Two rounds of "Army Birthday" + 2.5 mile run with 4×200 in the middle. #EarnYourCake #GetSome pic.twitter.com/IWMQbJS3I0
— CPT Stacey Sadowski (@Medina_Rctg_CDR) June 14, 2016
Happy Bday from #Baghdad, @USArmy! Ran with @CJTFOIR LTG MacFarland and CSM Smith, then ate some cake. #EarnYourCake pic.twitter.com/gk54E80HIZ
— Gary Volesky (@GVolesky) June 14, 2016
Thanks for celebrating the 241st #ArmyBDay with us, @MsVivicaFox! #EarnYourCake @USArmy pic.twitter.com/eG1gnPqPoA
— The U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps (@ArmyFifeandDrum) June 14, 2016
@SECARMY @UnderSecArmyPA @USAMurphy @USArmyEurope @USArmy Challenge accepted,how abt 0 handed pushups! #EarnYourCake pic.twitter.com/p4bxAviH5b
— 16th SB (@16thSustBde) June 14, 2016
If you have any well wishes, photographs or videos you’d like to share commemorating the branch’s big day, please share them in the comments.