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Armed Forces Day: Test your knowledge of US military

Armed Forces Day: Test your knowledge of US military

West Point Commencement

Cadets celebrate after graduating from West Point.

Armed Forces Day, which celebrates the men and women serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy, is May 15. The quiz below, from the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, provides an opportunity for you to test your knowledge of our nation’s armed forces.

1. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress which powers?

A. The power to provide and maintain a navy

B. The power to declare war

C. The power to raise and support armies

D. All of the above

2. The oldest infantry unit has been active since 1784. What is it called?

A. Old Iron Sides

B. Yellow Jackets

C. Old Guard

D. Devil Dogs

3. Who is the current U.S. Secretary of Defense and in what branch of the military did he serve?

A. James Mattis, Marines

B. Lloyd Austin, Army

C. Chuck Hagel, Army

D. Donald Rumsfeld, Navy

4. Approximately how many military bases does the United States have in how many countries?

A. 500 bases in 50 countries

B. 600 bases in 60 countries

C. 700 bases in 70 countries

D. 800 bases in 80 countries

5. Which U.S. military base is considered to be the largest in the world?

A. Fort Hood in Texas

B. Eglin Air Force Base in Florida

C. Fort Bragg in North Carolina

D. Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington

6. Who is the only U.S. president to have served as an enlisted military man, but who did not become an officer?

A. James Buchanan

B. Dwight D. Eisenhower

C. Franklin Pierce

D. Zachary Taylor

7. Which famous cartoon character was bestowed the title “Honorary Marine”?

A. Mighty Mouse

B. Popeye

C. Bugs Bunny

D. Elmer Fudd

8. When did President Harry Truman issue Executive Order 9981 barring discrimination in the military “on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin” and beginning de-segregation of the armed forces?

9. When did the first female cadets enter West Point?

10. Which of the following apply to World War II’s 442nd Infantry Regimental Combat Team?

A. Unit motto was “Go for Broke”

B. Awarded Congressional Gold Medal in 2010

C. Primarily composed of second-generation American citizens of Japanese descent

D. All of the above

ANSWERS: 1-D, 2-C, 3-B, 4-D, 5-C, 6-A, 7-C, 8-B, 9-A, 10-D

ABOUT THE WRITER: Jennifer D. Keene is a member of the Ashbrook Center faculty and chair of the History Department at Chapman University.

Published at Sat, 15 May 2021 12:30:00 +0000