Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

forces. This day is not to be confused with

Veterans Day Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces (who were discharged under conditions other than di ...

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

Africa

Egypt

In Egypt, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on 6 October, the date on which the

October War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab state ...

of 1973 began with the Egyptian Army's successful crossing of the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

that culminated in the capture of the Bar Lev Line.

Liberia

Armed Forces Day Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their military forces. This day is not to be confused with Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Africa Egypt In Egypt, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on 6 October, ...

is celebrated on 11 February.

Mali

Mali Army Day is celebrated on 20 January.

Mauritania

Mauritanian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of Mauritania ( ar, الجيش الوطني الموريتاني, french: Armée Nationale Mauritanienne) is the defence force of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, having an army, navy, air force, gendarmerie, and presidential g ...

Day is celebrated on 10 July. Armed forces day is marked with events of national importance, such as flag raising ceremonies, awards ceremonies and military parades. It was established in 1960 by President

Moktar Ould Daddah Moktar Ould Daddah ( ar, مختار ولد داداه, Mukhtār Wald Dāddāh; December 25, 1924 – October 14, 2003) was a Mauritanian politician who led the country after it gained its independence from France. Daddah served as the country's ...

as a professional holiday for the armed forces, replacing the holidays of the separate branches of the armed forces, as well as resembling the

Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in t ...

celebrations in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. It is not a public holiday in the country.

Nigeria

In Nigeria, Armed Forces Day, also known as

, is celebrated on 15 January. It was formerly celebrated on 11 November of every year to coincide with the Remembrance Day (

Poppy Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in t ...

) for the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

veterans in the British

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

. But it was changed to 15 January in Nigeria in commemoration of the surrender of

Biafran Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised Secession, secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo peop ...

troops to the Federal troops on 15 January 1970, thus concluding the

Nigerian Civil War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Nigerian–Biafran War or the Biafran War, was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence f ...

that sought to tear apart the unity of Nigeria.

Somalia

Somali Armed Forces The Somali Armed Forces are the military forces of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Headed by the president as commander-in-chief, they are constitutionally mandated to ensure the nation's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Ch ...

Anniversary is celebrated on 12 April as the Armed Forces were founded on 12 April 1960. The branches of Armed Forces conduct a military parade in the Ministry of Defence's campus each year.

South Africa

Armed Forces Day for the

South African National Defence Force The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the Military, armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the Military branch, armed services. They are in turn a ...

is celebrated on 21 February, the day of the 1993 reconstitution of the

South African Defence Force The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence F ...

into its current identity. It has been celebrated with parades nationwide since 2012. Since 2017, the Armed Forces Day event also honors the fallen of the tragic 1917 sinking of

SS Mendi SS ''Mendi'' was a British Ocean liner, passenger steamship that was built in 1905 and, as a troopship, sank after collision with great loss of life in 1917. Alexander Stephen and Sons of Linthouse in Glasgow, Scotland launched her on 18 June ...

, which carried South African forces into the frontlines during the First World War, resulting in one of the biggest military losses ever in South African military history.

Americas

Argentina

In Argentina, the commemorative dates of the Armed Forces are as follows: * 17 May : Argentine Navy Day * 29 May : Argentine Army Day * 10 August : Argentine Air Force Day

Bolivia

Bolivian Armed Forces Day ( es, Dia de las Fuerzas Armadas de Bolivia) is marked on 7 August, the day after Independence Day, as it was the day in 1826 when Bolivia's first President,

Antonio José de Sucre Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá (; 3 February 1795 – 4 June 1830), known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" ( en, "Grand Marshal of Ayacucho"), was a Venezuelan independence leader who served as the president of Peru and as the second pr ...

, officially gave his sanction to the creation of the

Armed Forces of Bolivia The Bolivian Armed Forces (Spanish: ''Fuerzas Armadas de Bolivia'') are the military of Bolivia. The Armed Forces of Bolivia are responsible for the defence, both of external and internal, of Bolivia and they are constituted by Bolivian Army, ...

Brazil

In Brazil, the commemorative dates of the Armed Forces are as follows:

Brazilian Navy ) , colors= Blue and white , colors_label= Colors , march= "Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship ''Cisne Branco'' , mascot= , equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibious warf ...

( pt, Marinha do Brasil): * 11 June – Brazilian Navy Day ( pt, link=no, Data Magna da Marinha do Brasil) * 13 December – Sailor's Day ( pt, link=no, Dia do Marinheiro) Brazilian Army ( pt, link=no, Exército Brasileiro): * 19 April – Brazilian Army Day ( pt, link=no, Dia do Exército) * 25 August – Soldier's Day ( pt, link=no, Dia do Soldado)

Brazilian Air Force "Wings that protect the country" , colours = , colours_label = , march = Hino dos Aviadores , mascot = , anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...

( pt, link=no, Força Aérea Brasileira): * 23 October – Aviator's Day ( pt, link=no, Dia do Aviador)

Canada

In Canada,

Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

Day (CAFD) (french: Journée des forces armées canadiennes) is celebrated on the first Sunday in June and is a celebration of Canada's armed services, their heritage, and their personnel. It was established as a result of passing of a motion in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

on 25 April 2002. Canadian Armed Forces Day is not a public holiday in Canada. Official congratulations are given by the

Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces The commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces (french: Commandant en chef des Forces armées canadiennes) exercises supreme command and control over Canada's military, the Canadian Armed Forces. Constitutionally, the command-in-chief is ves ...

, the

Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Hou ...

, the Minister of National Defence, and the Chief of the Defence Staff. An inspection of an inter-service

guard of honour A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...

is commonplace during the holiday. Tributes to CF personnel usually happen at the National War Memorial and the

Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (French: ''Tombe du Soldat Inconnu'') is a tomb situated before the National War Memorial in Confederation Square, Ottawa, Ontario. The tomb is dedicated to Canadian service members, and holds the remains of an un ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

. The event is similar to the

celebrations in the fall. In 2018,

CFB Borden Canadian Forces Base Borden (also CFB Borden, French: Base des Forces canadiennes Borden or BFC Borden), formerly RCAF Station Borden, is a large Canadian Forces base located in Ontario. The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, CF ...

organised an air show for the holiday

Chile

In Chile, Army Day ( es, Día de las Glorias del Ejército) is a national holiday celebrated every 19 September, a day after the independence day, with the Gran Parada Militar, a

military parade A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The military parade is now almost entirely ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the lat ...

where all the branches of the armed forces display some of their troops and equipment in a special part of

O'Higgins Park O'Higgins Park (, formerly known as Parque Cousiño), with an area of around , is Santiago, Chile's second largest public park after Metropolitan Park. It is located in the center of the capital, in the Santiago Commune. The park, named after B ...

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

. Several other smaller parades can be seen in other cities of the country, as well as air displays by the air force, on Independence Day, 18 September. For the Chilean Navy, its counterpart is the national

Navy Day Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy. By country Argentina The Argentine Navy day is celebrated on May 17, anniversary of the victory achieved in 1814 in the Battle of Montevideo. Bahrain The R ...

( es, link=no, Día de las Glorias de la Armada) celebrations on 21 May, in honor of the double anniversaries of the

Battle of Iquique The Battle of Iquique was a naval engagement that occurred between a Chilean corvette under the command of Arturo Prat Chacón and a Peruvian ironclad under Miguel Grau Seminario on 21 May 1879, during the naval stage of the War of the Pacifi ...

and the

Battle of Punta Gruesa The Battle of Punta Gruesa was a naval action that took place on May 21, 1879, during the War of the Pacific between Chile and Peru. This may be labelled as the second part of the Naval Battle of Iquique, although it is described in many sources ...

in 1879. Valparaiso is where the main celebrations are concentrated, with a military parade in the morning and the President of Chile's State of the Nation address in the afternoon. Similar parades are hosted in major and minor cities and towns nationwide.

Cuba

The

Day of the Cuban Armed Forces The Day of the Cuban Armed Forces is a national holiday in Cuba celebrated annually on December 2 commemorating the landing of the Granma (yacht), Granma which brought the Castro brothers and their supporters from Mexico to Cuba to start their revo ...

is celebrated on 2 December to commemorate the landing of the Granma in 1956. The first ever

in years to be held on the holiday was marked in 2006. The parade on 2 January 2017 (postponed for 1 month due to the

Death and state funeral of Fidel Castro 90-year old former First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Council of State, Fidel Castro died of natural causes at 22:29 ( CST) in the evening of 25 November 2016. His brother, the then-President of the State Council ...

) was the second and the final event marking the diamond jubilee since the events of 1956.

Dominican Republic

Armed forces day ( es, Día de las Fuerzas Armadas) is celebrated on 25 February to commemorate the anniversary of the armed forces of the Dominican Republic. It is also the day of birth of Matías Ramón Mella, who is regarded as a national hero in the Dominican Republic and fired the first shot with his blunderbuss to proclaim, along with other patriots, the Independence from Haiti on 27 February 1844. On 27 February a military parade is held to commemorate the Independence anniversary.

Ecuador

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

, the commemorative dates of the Armed Forces are as follows:

Ecuadorian Army The Ecuadorian Army ( es, ''Ejército Ecuatoriano'', italic=unset) is the land component of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces. Its 160,500 soldiers are deployed in relation to its military doctrine. The contemporary Ecuadorian Army incorporates many jung ...

( es, link=no, Ejército Ecuatoriano): * 27 February – Ecuadorian Army Day ( es, link=no, Día del Ejército Ecuatoriano), in commemoration of the

Battle of Tarqui The Battle of Tarqui, also known as the Battle of Portete de Tarqui, took place on 27 February 1829 at Tarqui, near Cuenca, today part of Ecuador. It was fought between troops from Gran Colombia, commanded by Antonio José de Sucre, and Peruvian ...

(1829)

Ecuadorian Navy The Ecuadorian Navy ( es, Armada del Ecuador) is an Ecuadorian entity responsible for the surveillance and protection of national maritime territory and has a personnel of 9,127 men to protect a coastline of 2,237 km which reaches far into t ...

( es, link=no, Armada Nacional del Ecuador): * 25 July – Ecuadorian Navy Day ( es, link=no, Día de la Armada Nacional del Ecuador), in commemoration of the Battle of Jambelí (part of the

Ecuadorian–Peruvian War The Ecuadorian–Peruvian War, known locally as the War of '41 ( es, link=no, Guerra del 41), was a South American border war fought between 5–31 July 1941. It was the first of three military conflicts between Ecuador and Peru during the 20th ...

, 1941)

Ecuadorian Air Force The Ecuadorian Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana, FAE) is the Air arm of the Military of Ecuador and responsible for the protection of the Ecuadorian airspace. Mission To develop the military air wing, in order to execute institutional o ...

( es, link=no, Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana): * 27 October – Anniversary of foundation (1920)

Guatemala

In Guatemala, Día del Ejército is celebrated on 30 June. It is remembered because in 1871 the Liberal Revolution or "Revolución Liberal", led by

Miguel García Granados Miguel García Granados y Zavala (29 September 1809 – 8 September 1878) was a Spanish-born Guatemalan politician and military general who served as President of Guatemala from 1871 to 1873. Early life García Granados was born in El ...

and

Justo Rufino Barrios Justo Rufino Barrios Auyón (19 July 1835 – 2 April 1885) was a Guatemalan politician and military general who served as President of Guatemala from 1873 to his death in 1885. He was known for his liberal reforms and his attempts to reuni ...

, and composed of personnel of the

Guatemalan Army The Guatemalan Armed Forces ( es, Fuerzas Armadas de Guatemala) consists of the National Army of Guatemala (''Ejercito Nacional de Guatemala'', ENG), the Guatemalan National Defense Navy (''Marina de la Defensa Nacional'', includes Marines), the ...

, marched on the streets of Guatemala City and captured the Presidential palace, putting an end to the ''Conservadora'' administration formerly headed by

Rafael Carrera José Rafael Carrera y Turcios (24 October 1814 – 14 April 1865) was the president of Guatemala from 1844 to 1848 and from 1851 until his death in 1865, after being appointed President for life in 1854. During his military career and presiden ...

, marking the start of a new era in Guatemalan history. Parades are held in honor of the holiday in Guatemala City and in other major towns nationwide.

Haiti

In Haiti, is celebrated on 18 November in celebration of the victory of the indigenous slave African and

Gens de couleur In ancient Rome, a gens ( or , ; plural: ''gentes'' ) was a family consisting of individuals who shared the same Roman naming conventions#Nomen, nomen and who claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a ''stirps'' (p ...

versus the European forces led by France with support from United States and Spain.

Mexico

Mexican Armed Forces The Mexican Armed Forces ( es, Fuerzas Armadas de México) are the military forces of the United Mexican States. The Spanish crown established a standing military in colonial Mexico in the eighteenth century. After Mexican independence in 1821, ...

Day (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: Día de las Fuerzas Armadas Mexicanas) is celebrated on 19 February since 1950, in commemoration of the decree that created them in 1917.

Peru

In Peru, the Día de las Fuerzas Armadas del Perú (English: ''Peruvian Armed Forces Day'') is celebrated on 24 September, the feast of the Virgin of Mercy, patroness of the Armed Forces. The day for the

Peruvian Army The Peruvian Army ( es, Ejército del Perú, abbreviated EP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missions ...

itself is 9 December, commemorating Peru's victory in the

Battle of Ayacucho The Battle of Ayacucho ( es, Batalla de Ayacucho, ) was a decisive military encounter during the Peruvian War of Independence. This battle secured the independence of Peru and ensured independence for the rest of South America. In Peru it is co ...

, which ended the

Peruvian War of Independence The Peruvian War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia del Perú, links=no) consisted in a series of military conflicts in Peru beginning with viceroy Abascal military victories in the south frontier in 1809, in La Paz revolution an ...

, while for the

Peruvian Navy The Peruvian Navy ( es, link=no, Marina de Guerra del Perú, abbreviated MGP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to from the Peruvian littoral. Addit ...

, Navy Day is on 8 October, the double anniversary of the 1821 foundation of the Navy and the

Battle of Angamos The Battle of Angamos ( es, Combate de Angamos) was a naval encounter of the War of the Pacific fought between the navies of Chile and Perú at Punta Angamos, on 8 October 1879. The battle was the culminating point of a naval campaign that las ...

in 1879. Air Force Day is held on 23 July, the anniversary of the death of

Peruvian Air Force The Peruvian Air Force ( es, link=no, Fuerza Aérea del Perú, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguardin ...

Lieutenant

José Quiñones Gonzales José Abelardo Quiñones Gonzáles (April 22, 1914 – July 23, 1941) was a Peruvian military aviator and posthumously became a national hero for his actions at the Battle of Zarumilla during the Ecuadorian–Peruvian War of 1941. Early life Qui ...

during the 1941

. The

Great Military Parade of Peru {{unreferenced, date=December 2011 On July 29 every year, the Great Military Parade of Peru celebrating the anniversary of Peru's declaration of independence from Spain in 1821 is held in Lima, the national capital, by members of the Peruvian Armed ...

is held on the day after Independence Day, 29 July, and this is where all 3 services of the Armed Forces are also honored.

United States

In the United States, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May. It falls near the end of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May (the fourth if the month begins on a Sunday, as in 2016). First observed on 20 May 1950, the day was created on 31 August 1949 as President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank military members for their patriotic service in support of our country. Secretary of Defense

Louis A. Johnson Louis Arthur Johnson (January 10, 1891April 24, 1966) was an American politician and attorney who served as the second United States Secretary of Defense from 1949 to 1950. He was the Assistant Secretary of War from 1937 to 1940 and the 15th na ...

announced the creation to honor Americans serving in the five U.S. military branches – the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

, U.S. Marine Corps,

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

and

U.S. Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...

– following the consolidation of the military services in the

U.S. Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secur ...

. It was intended to replace the separate Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Days, but the separate days are still observed, especially within the respective services. The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated by

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

s, open houses, receptions and

air show An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The largest air show m ...

s. The United States' longest continuously running Armed Forces Day Parade is held in Bremerton, Washington. In 2022, Bremerton celebrated the 73rd Armed Forces Day Parade. Because of their unique training schedules,

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

and Reserve units may celebrate Armed Forces Day/Week over any period in the month of May. On 19 May 2017, President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

reaffirmed the Armed Forces Day holiday, marking the 70th anniversary since the creation of the Department of Defense. Aside from the Armed Forces Day the Armed Forces and the National Guard Bureau are honored on the following days: * 29 March: Vietnam Veterans Day (general commemoration in the Armed Forces) * Last Monday of May:

* 14 June: Flag Day and Army Day (United States Army) * 4 August: Coast Guard Day (United States Coast Guard) * 17 September: Constitution Day (general commemoration in the Armed Forces) * 18 September: Air Force Day (United States Air Force) * 13 October: US Navy Birthday (United States Navy) * 27 October: Navy Day (United States Navy) * 10 November: Marine Corps Birthday (United States Marine Corps) * 11 November:

* 13 December: National Guard Day (

National Guard of the United States The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only independent space force. Along with its sister branch, the U.S. Air Force, the Space ...

)

Venezuela

Venezuela celebrates Army Day on 24 June, the anniversary of

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

's victory in the

Battle of Carabobo The Battle of Carabobo, on 24 June 1821, was fought between independence fighters, led by Venezuelan General Simón Bolívar, and the Royalist forces, led by Spanish Field Marshal Miguel de la Torre. Bolívar's decisive victory at Carabobo led ...

, which led to Venezuela's independence from Spain.

, honoring the 1823

Battle of Lake Maracaibo The Battle of Lake Maracaibo also known as the "Naval Battle of the Lake" was fought on 24 July 1823 on Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo between fleets under the commands of Republican Admiral José Prudencio Padilla and royalist Captain Ángel Labo ...

, is celebrated on the same day as the birthday of Simón Bolívar, 24 July. The Venezuelan Air Force marks Air Force Day on 27 November every year, honoring the role of Venezuelan military aviation in national history (the date, used since 2010, is in remembrance of the 2nd of the

1992 Venezuelan coup d'état attempts Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 ''Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since the ...

in which the Air Force took part). From 1946 until 2009, 10 December was celebrated as Air Force Day in honor of the birth of national military aviation with the 1920 opening of the Air Force Academy in Maracay. National Guard Day is celebrated on 3 August, the date of the 1936 founding of the Venezuelan National Guard. The entire Venezuelan National Armed Forces are also honored on Independence Day, 5 July, which is also earmarked as National Armed Forces Day.

Asia

Azerbaijan

The

Day of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan Day of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan ( az, Azərbaycan Respublikası Silahlı Qüvvələri günü) is a holiday annually celebrated on June 26 in Azerbaijan, by the decree issued by President Heydar Aliyev, to commemorate the Azerbaijani Armed For ...

( az, Silahlı Qüvvələr Günü) is celebrated on 26 June. The events are centered around a

Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...

, the national capital. The annual parade is one of the biggest in the

Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of and has an estimated population of 239,796,010. ...

Armenia

Army Day ( hy, Բանակի օր) is celebrated on 28 January to commemorate the formation of the armed forces of the newly independent Armenia in 1992.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh observes Armed Forces Day on 21 November to mark the occasion of the Tri-Services joint operation against occupying Pakistani forces in the

Liberation War Wars of national liberation or national liberation revolutions are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) to establish separat ...

, 1971. The day starts with laying of a floral wreath at 'Sikha Anirban' (Eternal Flame) at

Dhaka Cantonment Dhaka Cantonment ( bn, ঢাকা সেনানিবাস) is a cantonment located in the northern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The headquarters of the Bangladesh Army, and Bangladesh Air Force, Air Force are situated within the cantonment w ...

by the President, the Prime Minister and the service chiefs. In the afternoon a reception is held at Senakunja, Dhaka Cantonment where the Prime Minister, ministers, the leader of the opposition and other high civil and military officials attend. In other

cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a military quarters. In Bangladesh, India and other parts of South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British India, colonial-era). In military of the United States, United Stat ...

s, naval bases, and air bases, similar receptions are held. A special TV programme ''Anirban'' is broadcast on different TV channels the previous evening, and special newspaper supplements are published with national

dailies In filmmaking, dailies are the raw, unedited footage shot during the making of a motion picture. The term comes from when movies were all shot on film because usually at the end of each day, the footage was developed, synced to sound, and pri ...

. Receptions are also held by the Prime Minister and the service chiefs for recipients of the gallantry award Freedom Fighter Award. Special meals for family members are served in all military stations. The Armed Forces Division also brings out a special publication with articles related to the War of Independence and the armed forces.

Brunei

Armed Forces Day (''Hari Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja'') is marked on 31 May annually to mark the formal raising on this date in 1961 of the

Royal Brunei Armed Forces The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF); ms, Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei, (ABDB), is the collective term for the military forces of the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. They consist of the Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF), the Royal Brunei N ...

China (People's Republic of China)

The People's Liberation Army Day () is celebrated in the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

on 1 August in commemoration of the founding of the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...

during the

Nanchang Uprising The Nanchang Uprising () was the first major Nationalist Party of China–Chinese Communist Party engagement of the Chinese Civil War, begun by the Chinese Communists to counter the Shanghai massacre of 1927 by the Kuomintang. The Kuomint ...

of 1927. On 30 June 1933, the Central Committee for Military Revolutionary Cases of the

Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victoriou ...

(CCP) voted to declare 1 August an annual holiday. This was solidified on 11 July of that same year, when this decision was approved by the government of the

Chinese Soviet Republic The Chinese Soviet Republic (CSR) was an East Asian proto-state in China, proclaimed on 7 November 1931 by Chinese communist leaders Mao Zedong and Zhu De in the early stages of the Chinese Civil War. The discontiguous territories of the CSR ...

. Since then, the date has been celebrated as the professional holiday and birthday of the PLA.

Georgia

Georgia marks its Armed Forces Day ( ka, შეიარაღებული ძალების დღე) on 30 April to commemorate the foundation of the

Defense Forces of Georgia The Defence Forces of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალები, tr), or Georgian Defence Forces (GDF), are the combined military forces of Georgia, tasked with the defense of the nation's indep ...

in 1991.

India

In India,

Army Day Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their military forces. This day is not to be confused with Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Africa Egypt In Egypt, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on 6 October, ...

is celebrated on 15 January,

is celebrated on 4 December and Air Force Day is celebrated on 8 October every year and 7 December is celebrated as

Armed Forces Flag Day The Armed Forces Flag Day or the Flag Day of India is a day dedicated to honouring the soldiers and veterans of India's armed forces. It has been observed annually in India on December 7 since 1949. History Immediately after India achieved inde ...

. This ''Armed Forces Flag Day'' is a day dedicated to the collection of funds from people of India for the welfare of the Indian Armed Forces personnel.

Indonesia

Hari Tentara Nasional Indonesia (English: ''Indonesian National Armed Forces Day'') abbreviated HUT TNI is celebrated on 5 October, the day of the foundation of the Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (''People's Security Armed Forces''), the predecessor of the TNI, in 1945, itself a replacement for the ''Badan Keamanan Rakyat'' (''People's Security Corps'') established on 29 August on the same year. Military parades are held nationwide in major cities and provincial capitals in honor of the TNI's serving men and women and military veterans.

Iran

Rouz-e Artesh (English: ''Army Day'') is celebrated on 18 April. Exhibitions of the

Iranian Army The Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces ( fa, نیروی زمینی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران, ''Niroo-ye Zamini-ye Artesh-e Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Iran''), acronymed NEZAJA ( fa, نزاجا, NEZEJA) are the ground forc ...

, such as a military parade of active personnel and veterans in the presence of the

President of Iran The president of Iran ( fa, رئیس‌جمهور ایران, Rayis Jomhur-e Irān) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The president is the second highest-ranking official of Iran after the Supreme Leader. The president i ...

in front of the

Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini The mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini ( fa, آرامگاه روح الله خمینی) houses the tombs of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, his wife Khadijeh Saqafi, and his second son Ahmad Khomeini; and some political figures, such as former President ...

, takes place during the holiday events.

Iraq

Iraqi Army Day is celebrated on 6 January, and marks the anniversary of the activation of the

Iraqi Army The Iraqi Ground Forces (Arabic: القوات البرية العراقية), or the Iraqi Army (Arabic: الجيش العراقي), is the ground force component of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It was known as the Royal Iraqi Army up until the coup ...

on 6 January 1921. Soldiers typically hold military parades in the

Green Zone The Green Zone ( ar, المنطقة الخضراء, translit=al-minṭaqah al-ḫaḍrā) is the most common name for the International Zone of Baghdad. It was a area in the Karkh district of central Baghdad, Iraq, that was the governmental ...

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

to mark the holiday, although it is not celebrated in the

Kurdistan Region Kurdistan Region ( ku, هەرێمی کوردستان, translit=Herêmî Kurdistan; ar, إقليم كردستان), abbr. KRI, is an autonomous region in Iraq comprising the four Kurdish-majority governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, ...

, due to many Kurds accusing the Iraqi Army of genocide. The 2021 Army Day celebrations honored the Army's 100th anniversary.

Israel

Yom Hazikaron (English: ''Memorial Day'') is observed on the 4th day of the month of

Iyar Iyar ( he, אִייָר or , Standard ''ʾĪyyar'' Tiberian ''ʾĪyyār''; from akk, 𒌗 𒄞 itiayari " rosette; blossom") is the eighth month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the second month of the Jewish religious year (w ...

of the

Hebrew calendar The Hebrew calendar ( he, הַלּוּחַ הָעִבְרִי, translit=HaLuah HaIvri), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance, and as an official calendar of the state of Israel. I ...

or May in the

Gregorian Calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

, always preceding the next day's celebrations of Israel

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

, Yom Ha-Atzma'ut, on the 5th day of Iyar, the anniversary of the Proclamation of the State of Israel in 1948.

Japan

In Japan, following the end of World War II, the Self-Defense Forces Day (Japanese: 自衛隊記念日;

Romaji The romanization of Japanese is the use of Latin script to write the Japanese language. This method of writing is sometimes referred to in Japanese as . Japanese is normally written in a combination of logographic characters borrowed from Ch ...

: ''Jiei-tai Kinen'bi'') is held every year since 1966. It celebrates the foundation of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. The GSDF,

MSDF MSDF may mean: *Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the Japanese Navy * State Defense Forces: **Massachusetts State Defense Force ** Missouri State Defense Force * Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility, a prison * Master of Science in Digital Forensics ...

and

ASDF ASDF may refer to: * Advanced Scientific Data Format, a form of storing astronomical data * Air Self-Defense Force, in Japan * Alabama State Defense Force, a military entity * Alaska State Defense Force, a military entity * Another System Defini ...

hold annual reviews in rotation (the GSDF a full military parade, the ASDF an airshow and the MSDF a fleet review) set in a designated day in October. There is also a three-day music event called the SDF Marching Festival. The date varies per year.

Empire of Japan

In the

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...

, Army Commemoration Day (Japanese: 陸軍記念日; Romaji: ''Riku-gun Kinen'bi'') was celebrated every 10 March, in commemoration of the Japanese victory in the

Battle of Mukden The , one of the largest land battles to be fought before World War I and the last and the most decisive major land battle of the Russo-Japanese War, was fought from 20 February to 10 March 1905 between Japan and Russia near Mukden ...

. Similarly, Navy Commemoration Day (Japanese: 海軍記念日; Romaji: ''Kai-gun Kinen'bi'') was celebrated every 24 May in commemoration of the Japanese victory in the

Battle of Tsushima The Battle of Tsushima (Japanese:対馬沖海戦, Tsushimaoki''-Kaisen'', russian: Цусимское сражение, ''Tsusimskoye srazheniye''), also known as the Battle of Tsushima Strait and the Naval Battle of Sea of Japan (Japanese: 日 ...

. These days were celebrated from 1906 until the end of World War II in 1945.

Kazakhstan

The Defender of the Fatherland Day of Kazakhstan is observed on 7 May to mark the founding of the

Armed Forces of Kazakhstan The Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan ( kk, Қазақстан Республикасының Қарулы Күштері, , russian: Вооружённые силы Республики Казахстан) is the unified armed forces of ...

on 7 May 1992 after the fall of the USSR.

Laos

The Anniversary of The Lao Army was observed annually every 20 January by the

Lao People's Armed Forces The Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF; lo, ກອງທັບປະຊາຊົນລາວ), is the armed forces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the institution of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, who are charged with protectin ...

to celebrate the creation of the independent Lao army on 20 January 1949. Every year, large posters are placed to remind that date which was marks the first step towards full independence and domination of the

Lao People's Revolutionary Party The Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) is the founding and sole ruling party of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The party's monopoly on state power is guaranteed by Article 3 of the Constitution of Laos, and it maintains a unitary ...

. A military parade is held in the early morning in the capital of

Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...

. In the

Kingdom of Laos The Kingdom of Laos was a landlocked country in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula. It was bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, North Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

, 1 July was the anniversary of the

Royal Lao Army The Royal Lao Army (french: Armée royale du Laos – ARL), also designated by its anglicized title RLA, was the Land Component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the North Vietnamese invasio ...

Lebanon

Lebanese Armed Forces ) , founded = 1 August 1945 , current_form = 1991 , disbanded = , branches = Lebanese Ground ForcesLebanese Air Force Lebanese Navy , headquarters = Yarze, Lebanon , flying_hours = , websit ...

Day is celebrated on 1 August.

Malaysia

Hari Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (English: ''

Malaysian Armed Forces The Malaysian Armed Forces (: MAF; ms, Angkatan Tentera Malaysia; Jawi: ), are the armed forces of Malaysia, consists of three branches; the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The number of MAF active pers ...

Day'') is celebrated on 16 September,

Malaysia Day Malaysia Day ( ms, Hari Malaysia) is a public holiday held on 16 September every year to commemorate the establishment of the Malaysian federation on that date in 1963. This event saw Malaya, North Borneo (which was renamed Sabah), Sarawak, ...

. This double holiday, which marks the formation of

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

in 1963, is also marked in the Malaysian Armed Forces as the anniversary of the formal raising of the first companies of the

Royal Malay Regiment The Royal Malay Regiment ( ms, Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, three battalions are par ...

in 1933, from which would grow the basis of the modern day Armed Forces. To avoid conflict with Malaysia Day festivities, celebrations are marked on the Tuesday after Malaysia Day, which also conclude a two-month long celebration period of the anniversary of Malaysian nationhood.

Maldives

Maldives Armed Forces Day ''('') is celebrated by the

Maldives National Defence Force , image = Emblem of the Maldives National Defence Force.svg , alt = Emblem of the Defence Force , caption = Maldives National Defence Force emblem , image2 = Flag of the Maldives National Defe ...

every year on 21 April to commemorate the establishment of a Security Force under the

Sultan of the Maldives Maldives was turned into a Sultanate in 1153 when the Buddhist King Dhovemi converted to Islam. Prior to that the Maldives was a Buddhist Kingdom, a Hindu Kingdom and before that a matriarchal society with each atoll ruled by a chief queen a ...

on 21 April 1892.

Mongolia

Soldier's Day ( mn, Цэргийн баяр) is celebrated on 18 March annually. On 18 March 1921, Sükhbaatar's troops succeeded in taking the town, despite being heavily outnumbered. This day is now the official holiday of Mongolia's army, and is usually celebrated as the equivalent of Defender of the Fatherland Day in Russia, or the male version of International Women's Day.

Myanmar

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

() is celebrated on 27 March in commemoration of the start of

Burmese army The Myanmar Army ( my, တပ်မတော်(ကြည်း), ) is the largest branch of the Tatmadaw, Armed Forces (''Tatmadaw'') of Myanmar (Burma) and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. The My ...

's resistance to Japanese occupation in 1945. Originally, it was known as Resistance Day ().

North Korea

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

, the

Military Foundation Day Military Foundation Day( ko, 조선인민군 창건일) is an annual public holiday in North Korea falling on 25 April. Background North Korean historiography has two competing dates for the founding of the modern Korean People's Army (KPA): ...

is celebrated on 8 February, in commemoration of the day of the creation of the modern

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) is the military force of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Under the ''Songun'' policy, it is the central institution of North Korean society. Currently, WPK General Sec ...

(KPA) in 1948. On that holiday North Korea holds a national commemorative assembly in Pyongyang and various commemorative events, firepower demonstrations, concerts and the biannual military parade. Since 23 April 1996 when the issued an ordinance making it a national holiday, both the entire military and civilians are permitted to take off from work to celebrate all those serving in the KPA and its veterans. Additionally, since 2015, the KPA and its veterans are honored on ''People's Revolutionary Army Day'', held every 25 April, to commemorate the official formation of the predecessor forces of the Army, the Revolutionary Army, in the spring of 1932.

Pakistan

In Pakistan, the Federal

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

and

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

celebrate

Defence Day Defence Day ( ur, ALA-LC: ) is celebrated in Pakistan as national day to commemorate the sacrifices made by Pakistani soldiers in defending its borders.Taha SiddiquiDear Pakistanis, this Defence Day, please stop celebrating hate Al Jazeera ...

(6 September), the

Victory Day Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...

(8 September) and the Air Force Day (7 September) respectively. Usually the ceremony takes place on the ''Resolution'' or

Pakistan Day The Resolution Day ( ur, , translit=Yawm-e-Qarārdād), also known as the Pakistan Day ( ur, , translit=Yawm-e-Pākistān) and Republic Day, is a national holiday in Pakistan primarily commemorating the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the Mu ...

(23 March) when all three services display their full colours and guards of honour, as well as on Independence Day (14 August).

Philippines

Armed Forces Day (Filipino: ''Araw ng Hukbong Sandatahang Lakas'', Spanish: ''Dia de las Fuerzas Armadas de Filipinas'') is observed on 21 December, the anniversary of the official founding of the

Armed Forces of the Philippines The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The P ...

in 1935 in accordance with CA No. 1 (

National Defense Act of 1935 {{Infobox legislation , long_title = An Act to provide National Defense of the Philippines, penalizing certain violations thereof, appropriating funds therefor, and for other purposes , citation Commonwealth Act No. 1, territorial_extent = Philip ...

Taiwan / Republic of China (ROC)

The Armed Forces Day () is celebrated in the Republic of China on the island of

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

on 3 September, on the same day as their

Victory over Japan Day Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...

(1945). Pursuant to Article 5 of the ''Order to Implement Commemoration Days and Holidays'' (紀念日及節日實施辦法), the

Ministry of National Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

(國防部) determines how to allow a day off for the

military personnel Military personnel are members of the state's armed forces. Their roles, pay, and obligations differ according to their military branch (army, navy, marines, air force, space force, and coast guard), rank (officer, non-commissioned officer, or e ...

. This is not a public holiday in the Republic of China, but relevant institutions, groups, and schools may hold celebrating activities.

Tajikistan

Рӯзи Артиши Миллӣ Тоҷик (English: ''Tajik National Army Day'') is celebrated on 23 February to commemorate the formation of the

Armed Forces of Tajikistan tg, Қувваҳои Мусаллаҳи Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, italics=off , image=File:Tajik Armed Forces Shoulder Patch.jpg , image_size= , image2 = , alt2 = Roundel , caption=The shoulder patch o ...

in 1993. The main celebrations are held in

Dushanbe Dushanbe ( tg, Душанбе, ; ; russian: Душанбе) is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. , Dushanbe had a population of 863,400 and that population was largely Tajik. Until 1929, the city was known in Russian as Dyushambe (r ...

, with the

President of Tajikistan The president of Tajikistan is the head of state and de facto head of government of the Republic of Tajikistan. The president heads the executive branch of the country's federal government and is the supreme commander in chief of the Armed Forc ...

, in his/her capacity as Supreme Commander in Chief, takes the salute at a wreath laying ceremony in Victory Park. Military parades have been held on Armed Forces Day on jubilee years (2003 and 2013 for example). The following service branches also have their own professional holidays: * 6 February –

Tajik Internal Troops The Tajik Internal Troops () are the internal security force of Tajikistan, under the Interior Ministry (VKD). They act as the primary reserve force of the Tajik Armed Forces, and are in charge of homeland defence, along with the Tajik Border Troo ...

28 May Events Pre-1600 * 585 BC – A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from w ...

–

Tajik Border Troops The Border Troops (), also called the Border Service, is the border security force of Tajikistan. Functioning under the State Committee for National Security as part of the Armed Forces, the border guards are trained by the Organization for Se ...

* 4 August –

Tajik Mobile Forces The Mobile Forces ( tg, Қӯшунҳои Зудамали) are the paratroopers of the armed forces of Tajikistan. They are similar to the Russian Airborne Troops, whom they often train with. The Mobile Forces act as an elite special forces unit, ...

* 2 October –

Presidential National Guard The National Guard (russian: Национальная гвардия Таджикистана; tg, Гвардияи миллии Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон), formerly called the Brigade of Special Mission and Presidential Guard, also ...

Thailand

Thailand honours the

Royal Thai Armed Forces The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) ( th, กองทัพไทย; ) are the armed forces of the Kingdom of Thailand. The nominal head of the Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพไทย; ) is the King of Thailand. The armed forces are ...

on 18 January, Royal Thai Armed Forces Day. The RTAF honors on that day the anniversary of the victory won by the King

Naresuan King Naresuan the Great (( th, สมเด็จพระนเรศวรมหาราช, , ) or Sanphet II ( th, สรรเพชญ์ที่ ๒), ( my , နရဲစွမ် (သို့) ဗြနရာဇ်); 1555/1556 – ...

in the epic Yuddhahatthi or Elephant Battle against

Mingyi Swa Mingyi Swa ( my, မင်းကြီးစွာ, or ; 27 November 1558 – ) was List of heirs to the Burmese thrones, heir apparent of Burma from 1581 to 1593. The eldest son of King Nanda Bayin, Nanda of the Toungoo dynasty, Toungoo Dynasty ...

(grandson of

Bayinnaung , image = File:Bayinnaung.JPG , caption = Statue of Bayinnaung in front of the National Museum of Myanmar , reign = 30 April 1550 – 10 October 1581 , coronation = 11 January 1551 at Toung ...

) in 1592 at Nong Sarai,

Suphanburi Suphan Buri () is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in central Thailand. It covers ''tambon'' Tha Philiang and parts of ''tambons'' Rua Yai and Tha Rahat, all within the Mueang Suphan Buri District. As of 2006 it had a population of 26,656. The town ...

. This is honored with massive military parades in various parts of the country. The main celebrations are in Bangkok and on behalf of the Royal Family of Thailand, the Chief of Defence Forces takes the salute on this day's parade. In 2020, King

Vajiralongkorn Vajiralongkorn ( th, วชิราลงกรณ; , ; born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his ...

, as Chief of the Armed Forces, attended the Armed Forces Day parade for the very first time.

Singapore

In Singapore, Singapore Armed Forces Day falls on 1 July each year. The practice began in 1969, just several years after Singapore separated from Malaysia to become a sovereign nation. The day is marked by a parade and a re-affirmation of the pledge of loyalty by all members of the

Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...

in a

Trooping the Colour Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed every year in London, United Kingdom, by regiments of the British Army. Similar events are held in other countries of the Commonwealth. Trooping the Colour has been a tradition of British infantry regi ...

like event. Each year, a minute of silence is observed to pay tribute to the servicemen. On that day, the outgoing colour bearer of the Singapore Army hands over the State Colour of the Army to a new colour bearer from the Army's Best Combat Unit of the year. The

President of Singapore The president of Singapore is the head of state of the Singapore, Republic of Singapore. The role of the president is to safeguard the Reserves of the Government of Singapore, reserves and the integrity of the Singapore Civil Service, public serv ...

gives a holiday address to the SAF and the nation. Since 1987, rededication ceremonies have been held across the country so that employers can pledge their support for SAF.

South Korea

In South Korea, 국군의 날 (English: ''Armed Forces Day'') falls on 1 October, the day that South Korean forces broke through the 38th parallel in 1950 during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. It is not a national holiday or public day off, but a National Flag Raising Day (국기게양일) to recognize and honor the active and reserve servicemen and women and veterans of the

Republic of Korea Armed Forces The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (), also known as the ROK Armed Forces, are the armed forces of South Korea. The ROK Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world with a reported personnel strength of ...

Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka each armed services celebrates its own Army Day (10 October), the Navy Day (9 December) and the Air Force Day (2 March) respectively. However all armed services celebrate Independence Day (4 February) with a military parade in which they display their full colours. Since 2010, the armed services also hold parades on Victory and Remembrance Day (18 May), in honour of the armed forces fallen, heroes and veterans of the Sri Lankan Civil War.

Vietnam

In Vietnam, People's Army Day is celebrated on 22 December, the day of the 1944 foundation of the

People's Army of Vietnam The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Vietnam, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the ...

. This is not a public holiday, but relevant celebrations are held nationwide to celebrate the occasion.

South Vietnam

The Armed Forces Day of

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

was celebrated from 1965 to 1974 on 19 June; the holiday is still celebrated internationally by former South Vietnamese military veterans.

Europe

Bulgaria

The Day of Bravery and

Bulgarian Armed Forces Day Bulgarian Armed Forces Day ( bg, Ден на българските въоръжени сили), also known as the Day of Bravery () or the Day of Bravery and Holiday of the Bulgarian Army () is a national holiday celebrated annually on May 6, com ...

is commemorated every year on 6 May, The Feast of

Saint George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

, who is the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of the

Bulgarian Armed Forces The Bulgarian Army ( bg, Българска армия, Bŭlgarska armiya) is the military of Bulgaria. The commander-in-chief is the president of Bulgaria. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for political leadership, while overall military ...

. The national parade is held on Prince Alexander of Battenberg Square in

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

, the national capital city, on this day, with the salute taken by the

President of Bulgaria The president of the Republic of Bulgaria is the head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or ...

, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Croatia

In Croatia, the commemorative dates of the Armed Forces are as follows:

Armed Forces of Croatia The Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Oružane snage Republike Hrvatske – OSRH) is the military service of Croatia. The President is the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief, and exercises administrative powers in times of war by giv ...

( hr, Oružane snage Republike Hrvatske): * 28 May – Croatian Armed Forces Day ( hr, link=no, Dan Oružanih snaga Republike Hrvatske), marking the day of the first-ever public parade of the military forces on 28 May 1991 on

Stadion Kranjčevićeva Stadion u Kranjčevićevoj ulici (''Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević, Kranjčević Street Stadium''), also known as Stadion Concordije between 1921 and 1945, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Trešnjevka neighbourhood, in the Croatian capital ...

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

Croatian Army The Croatian Army ( hr, Hrvatska kopnena vojska or HKoV) is the largest and most significant component of the Croatian Armed Forces (CAF). Role and deployment The fundamental role and purpose of the Croatian Army is to protect vital national i ...

( hr, link=no, Hrvatska kopnena vojska); * 28 May – Croatian Army Day ( hr, link=no, Dan Hrvatske kopnene vojske).

Croatian Navy , image = Seal of Croatian Navy.png , caption = Emblem of the Croatian Navy , start_date = 1991 , country = , allegiance = , branch = , type = Navy , role = , size = 1,36330 vessels , command_structure = Armed Forces of Croatia , gar ...

( hr, link=no, Hrvatska ratna mornarica); * 18 September – Croatian Navy Day ( hr, link=no, Dan Hrvatske ratne mornarice);

Croatian Air Force and Defense The Croatian Air Force ( hr, Hrvatsko ratno zrakoplovstvo or HRZ) is a branch of the Croatian Armed Forces whose primary task is to ensure the sovereignty of the airspace of the Republic of Croatia and to provide aviation support to other branc ...

( hr, link=no, Hrvatsko ratno zrakoplovstvo i protuzračna obrana). * 12 December – Croatian Air Force Day ( hr, link=no, Dan Hrvatskog ratnog zrakoplovstva). The entire Croatian Armed Forces are also honored on 5 August, Victory and Homeland Defenders Day and Day of the Defenders of Croatia, celebrating the anniversary of the 1995

Operation Storm }) was the last major battle of the Croatian War of Independence and a major factor in the outcome of the Bosnian War. It was a decisive victory for the Croatian Army (HV), which attacked across a front against the self-declared proto-state R ...

Finland

Lippujuhlan päivän paraati 2014 012 Uudenmaan prikaati

In Finland, Day of the

Defence Forces The phrase Defence Force(s) (or Defense Force(s) in US English - see spelling differences) is in the title of the armed forces of certain countries and territories. Defence forces * Ambazonia Defence Forces *Artsakh Defence Army * Australian Defen ...

( fi, Puolustusvoimain lippujuhlan päivä, lit=The Day of the Defence Forces' flag fest) is celebrated on 4 June, which is the birthday of

C. G. E. Mannerheim Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (, ; 4 June 1867 – 27 January 1951) was a Finland, Finnish military leader and statesman. He served as the military leader of the White Guard (Finland), Whites in the Finnish Civil War of 1918, as List of reg ...

, the

Marshal of Finland In Finnish Defence Forces Field Marshal ( fi, sotamarsalkka, lit=War Marshal, sv, fältmarskalk) is officially not an active military rank but an honorary rank that can be bestowed upon 'especially distinguished generals'. So far the only hold ...

. During 1919–1939 it was called the Day of the War People's flag fest ( fi, link=no, Sotaväen lippujuhlan päivä) and was celebrated on 16th as the Victory Day of the Troops of the Republic of Finland, i. e. the

Whites White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view. Description of populations as " ...

over the

Reds Reds may refer to: General * Red (political adjective), supporters of Communism or socialism * Reds (January Uprising), a faction of the Polish insurrectionists during the January Uprising in 1863 * USSR (or, to a lesser extent, China) during th ...

in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

1918. After

the Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

there were no need to maintain the dichotomy of Finnish society and the celebrations of 16 May were ended. During Mannerheim's 75th birthday the Finnish Government declared that from then on 4 June would officially celebrated as the Birthday of Marshal of Finland ( fi, link=no, Suomen marsalkan syntymäpäivä). Even though the official name of the day changed soon after it is still known, also in official context, as "The Birthday of Marshal of Finland".

France

During France's national day, France honors its armed forces during the military parade of 14 July, which is the oldest and largest military parade in Europe.

Greece

Greece marks its Armed Forces Day ( el, Ημέρα των Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων) on 21 November, on the day of the

Presentation of Mary The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known in the East as The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, is a liturgical feast celebrated on November 21 by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglo-Catholic Churches. The feast ...

Hungary

In Hungary, the Patriots and Homeland Defenders Day is celebrated on 21 May, honoring all those serving in the

Hungarian Defence Force The Hungarian Defence Forces ( hu, Magyar Honvédség) is the national defence force of Hungary. Since 2007, the Hungarian Armed Forces is under a unified command structure. The Ministry of Defence maintains the political and civil control over ...

Italy

Giorno delle Forze Armate (English: ''Armed Forces Day'') is celebrated on 4 November to remember the Italian victory in the First World War. On 4 November 1918, Austrian-Hungarian forces agreed to a cease fire, thus ending the war on Italian front. The following service holidays are celebrated all over the

Italian Armed Forces The Italian Armed Forces ( it, Forze armate italiane, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's military police and ar ...

: * Army Day: 4 May (

Italian Army "The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law" , colors = , colors_labels = , march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...

) *

: 10 June (

Italian Navy "Fatherland and Honour" , patron = , colors = , colors_label = , march = ( is the return of soldiers to their barrack, or sailors to their ship after a ...

) * Air Force Day: 28 March (

Italian Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello , mascot = , anniversaries = 28 March ...

) *

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...

Days: 5 June and 13 July

Latvia

The

Latvian National Armed Forces The Latvian National Armed Forces ( lv, Latvijas Nacionālie bruņotie spēki), or NBS, are the armed forces of Latvia. Latvia's defense concept is based on a mobile professional rapid response force and reserve segment that can be called upon re ...

Day is marked every 10 July, the day when in 1919 Latvia's Independent and North Latvian brigades where united in one formation under the command of General Dāvids Sīmansons. Similar celebrations occur on

Lāčplēsis Day Lāčplēsis Day ( lv, Lāčplēša diena) is a memorial day for soldiers who fought for the independence of Latvia. It is celebrated on November 11th, marking the decisive victory by the Latvian Army over the West Russian Volunteer Army – a j ...

Lithuania

Lithuanian Armed Forces The Lithuanian Armed Forces () are the military of Lithuania. The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of the Lithuanian Land Forces, the Lithuanian Naval Force and the Lithuanian Air Force. In wartime, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (whi ...

Day ( lt, Lietuvos kariuomenės diena) is celebrated on 23 November. It honors the issuing of the first laws regarding the army on 23 November 1918 at the height of the

Lithuanian–Soviet War The Lithuanian–Soviet War or Lithuanian–Bolshevik War ( lt, karas su bolševikais) was fought between Act of Independence of Lithuania, newly independent Lithuania and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian Socialist Feder ...

. The holiday is traditionally celebrated with the noon

on Cathedral Square in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

, which runs through

Gediminas Avenue Gediminas Avenue ( lt, Gedimino prospektas) is the main street of Vilnius, where most of the governmental institutions of Lithuania are concentrated, including the government, parliament, Constitutional Court and ministries. It is also the loca ...

to Independence Square after being reviewed by the

President of Lithuania The President of the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidentas) is the head of state of Lithuania. The officeholder has been Gitanas Nausėda since 12 July 2019. Powers The president has somewhat more executive authority tha ...

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

, alongside Lithuanian troops take part in the parade, with contingents coming from

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and the

Moldova

On 3 September, the

Moldovan National Army The Moldovan National Army ( ro, Armata Națională a Republicii Moldova) is the senior branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova composed of the Air Force and the Land Forces. The National Army is considered to be the regular duty mil ...

marks the ''Ziua Armatei Naționale'' (Day of the National Army), with the Ministry of Defense organizing large demonstrations on the occasion of holiday. Military and civilian staff lay flowers at the

Stephen the Great Monument The Stephen the Great Monument ( ro, Monumentul lui Ștefan cel Mare) is a prominent monument in Chișinău, Moldova. Description The monument to Stephen the Great was designed by architect Alexandru Plămădeală in 1923. It was erected near ...

and there is also a ceremony of the decoration of National Army distinctions. On 2 March, the entire

Armed Forces of Moldova The Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Forțele Armate ale Republicii Moldova) consist of the National Army (which is divided into the Land Forces Command and the Air Forces Command) and the Trupele de Carabinieri under the Ministr ...

celebrates Remembrance Day, which honours the veterans of the Transnistria War, with events being organized from 1–4 March. Participants in years past have also organized the Memory March, walking from

Great National Assembly Square Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

to the Maica Indurerata (Grieving Mother) at the Eternity Memorial Complex.

Montenegro

The Day of the

Armed Forces of Montenegro The Armed Forces of Montenegro ( cnr, Војска Црне Горе, Vojska Crne Gore) are the military forces of Montenegro. The Armed Forces consists of an army, navy and air force. The military currently maintains a force of 2,350 active du ...

is celebrated on 7 October. This day celebrates the victory over the vastly superior Byzantine army at the hands of

Stefan Vojislav Stefan Vojislav ( sr-cyr, Стефан Војислав; gr, Στέφανος Βοϊσθλάβος; 1034–d. 1043) was the Prince of Duklja from 1040 to 1043. Beginning in the year 1018, he served as a Byzantine governor, until 1034 when he led ...

, the lord of

Duklja Duklja ( sh-Cyrl, Дукља; el, Διόκλεια, Diokleia; la, Dioclea) was a medieval South Slavic state which roughly encompassed the territories of modern-day southeastern Montenegro, from the Bay of Kotor in the west to the Bojana Ri ...

in a

battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

at Tuđemili near

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

in 1042. During this battle, the 40,000 strong Byzantine army was destroyed by the Dukljan Army, killing 7 Byzantine ''Strategoi''. This battle reaffirmed Dukljan independence and freedom from Byzantine imperial rule over the lands of Montenegro.

North Macedonia

The Day of Macedonian Army is celebrated on 18 August. This date is chosen because on 18 August 1943, the battalion ''Mirče Acev'' was formed at the Slavej Mountain. It was the first organized battalion to fight against the Axis forces in

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...

. The day is not a national holiday, but is celebrated with a manifestation at one of the Army's barracks, where the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

, the Speaker of the Assembly, the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

and the

Minister of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

are always present. Usually there is a parade of the armed forces and an exhibition of the weapons and vehicles of the Army.

Poland

In Poland, the Święto Wojska Polskiego (English: ''Polish Armed Forces Day'') is celebrated annually on 15 August. Begun in 1923, the day commemorated the anniversary of Poland's 1920 victory over

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

at the Battle of Warsaw in the Polish-Soviet War. The holiday was discontinued during the

communist era A Communist Era is a sustained period of national government by a single party following the philosophy of Marxism–Leninism. Many countries have experienced such a period of Communist rule. Current communist states China The Chinese Communist P ...

in 1947 and replaced with 12 October, the anniversary of the 1943

Battle of Lenino The Battle of Lenino was a tactical World War II engagement that took place on 12 and 13 October 1943, north of the village of Lenino, Mahilyow Voblast, Lenino in the Mogilev region of Byelorussian SSR, Byelorussia. The battle itself was a part ...

, but it was revived again after the overthrow of communism in 1992.

Romania

In Romania, the Armed Forces Day ( ro, Ziua Armatei) is celebrated on 25 October. On this day, in 1944, the

Romanian Land Forces The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...

retook

Carei Carei (; , ; /, yi, , ) is a city in Satu Mare County, northwestern Romania, near the border with Hungary. The city administers one village, Ianculești ( hu, Szentjánosmajor). History The first mention of the city under the name of "Karul ...

, the last Romanian city under joint German–Hungarian occupation. The Romania–Hungary border had been reached a few days earlier, but the troops rested, and then completed the reoccupation of

Northern Transylvania Northern Transylvania ( ro, Transilvania de Nord, hu, Észak-Erdély) was the region of the Kingdom of Romania that during World War II, as a consequence of the August 1940 territorial agreement known as the Second Vienna Award, became part of ...

during the Battle of Carei.

Russian Federation

In Russia, the День защитника Отечества / Dyen' zaschitnika Otechestva (English: ''

Defender of the Fatherland Day Defender of the Fatherland Day (russian: День защитника Отечества ''Den' zashchitnika Otechestva''; kk, Отан қорғаушы күні; tg, Рӯзи Дорандаи Ватан; ky, Мекенди коргоочула ...

'') is celebrated on 23 February, honoring all those serving in the

Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...

. In the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

there was День Советской Армии / Dyen' Sovetskoy Armii (''Day of the Soviet Army''), celebrated on the same date. It is the very day of the anniversary since the formation of the modern armed forces of the Soviet Union in 1918, the traditions of which are continued by the current Russian Armed Forces, in conjunction with the heritage of its Imperial past. In Russia the following holidays are celebrated by military personnel, veterans and the general public: *

Russian Special Operations Forces Day Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

on 27 February, commemorating the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine, 2014 *

on 9 May: Victory Day marks Germany's surrender to the Soviet Union in 1945 *

on the last Sunday of July *

Paratroopers' Day Airborne Forces Day (russian: День Воздушно-десантных войск) also known as Paratroopers' Day (russian: День десантника) is a professional military holiday in Russia and other countries, celebrated on 2 August ...

on 2 August *

Russian Air Force Day Russian Air Force Day (russian: День Военно-воздушных сил, Den Voyenno-vozdushnykh) is a professional military holiday of Russia celebrated on 12 August to honor the active and reserve personnel, as well as veterans of the Ru ...

on 12 August *

Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces ...

Day on 1 October, in honor of the 1550 raising of the first

Streltsy , image = 01 106 Book illustrations of Historical description of the clothes and weapons of Russian troops.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = , dates = 1550–1720 , disbanded = , country = Tsardom of Russia , allegiance = Streltsy D ...

detachments *

Russian Aerospace Defence Forces The Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VVKO) ( rus, Войска воздушно-космической обороны (ВВКО), Voyska vozdushno-kosmicheskoy oborony (VVKO)) was a branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation responsi ...

Day on 4 October, the date of the 1957 launching of

Sputnik Sputnik 1 (; see § Etymology) was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for t ...

Russian Naval Infantry The Russian Naval Infantry (MPR; ), often referred to as Russian Marines in the West, operate as the naval infantry of the Russian Navy. Established in 1705, they are capable of conducting amphibious operations as well as operating as more tradit ...

Day on 27 November, the date of its 1705 founding *

Strategic Missile Forces The Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation or the Strategic Missile Forces of the Russian Federation (RVSN RF; russian: Ракетные войска стратегического назначения Российской Фед� ...

Day on 17 December

Serbia

Dan Vojske Srbije (''

Serbian Armed Forces The Serbian Armed Forces ( sr, Војска Србије, Vojska Srbije) is the military of Serbia. The President of Serbia acts as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, while administration and defence policy is carried out by the Government o ...

Day'') is marked on 23 April, the anniversary of the beginning of the 1815

Second Serbian Uprising The Second Serbian Uprising ( sr, Други српски устанак / ''Drugi srpski ustanak'', tr, İkinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was the second phase of the Serbian Revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re ...

which began the long road towards the restoration of Serbian independence after years of Ottoman occupation.

Spain

Armed Forces Day (Spanish: ''Día de las Fuerzas Armadas'') is observed in Spain since 1978. It started as a purely military celebration, but became with time a more colourful and popular event, the central acts of which are held each year at a different city. Since 1987 it is observed the Saturday nearest to 30 May, feast-day of Saint Ferdinand, King. The Armed Forces and those killed in service are also honoured at the celebrations of Spain's National Day (12 October).

Ukraine

* Ground Forces Day for the

Ukrainian Ground Forces The Ukrainian Ground Forces ( uk, Сухопу́тні військá Збрóйних сил Украї́ни), also known as the Ukrainian Army, are the Army, land forces of Ukraine and one of the five Military branch, branches of the Armed For ...

is celebrated on 12 December. * Navy Day for the

Ukrainian Navy The Military Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Військо́во-морські́ си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни, ВМС ЗСУ) is the maritime forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Arme ...

is celebrated on the first Sunday of July since June 2015.Ukrainian Navy to celebrate its holiday on first Sunday of July – decree

Interfax-Ukraine The Interfax-Ukraine ( uk, Інтерфакс-Україна) is a Kyiv-based Ukraine, Ukrainian independent news agency founded in 1992. The company does not belong to the Russian news corporation Interfax Information Services. The company pub ...

(12 June 2015) * Air Force Day is the first Saturday in August. For the entire

Armed Forces of Ukraine , imports = , exports = , history = , ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine , country=Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly known ...

, Armed Forces Day ( uk, День Збройних сил України) is celebrated on 6 December, with fireworks displays and gun salutes nationwide.Culture Smart! Ukraine by

Anna Shevchenko Anna Shevchenko (born 4 August 1993) is a Kazakhstani cross-country skier who competes internationally. She competed for Kazakhstan at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2017 in Lahti Lahti (; sv, Lahtis) is a city and municipality in Fi ...

, Kuperard, 2006, This holiday was established in 1993 by a resolution passed by the

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

. Other military holidays in Ukraine include: * 23 May –

Naval Infantry Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

Day * 8 July – Air Defence Forces Day * 8 August – Signal Corps Day * 7 September –

Military Intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...

Forces Day * 9 September –

Armoured Forces Armoured warfare or armored warfare (mechanized forces, armoured forces or armored forces) (American English; see spelling differences), is the use of armored fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of ...

Day * 14 September – Mobilized Servicemen Day * 14 October –

Defender of Ukraine Day Defenders Day is a public holidayRocket Forces and Artillery Day * 3 November – Corps of Engineers Day * 21 November – Air Assault Forces Day * 23 December – Operational Servicemen Day

United Kingdom

The first Armed Forces Day in the

took place on 27 June 2009. It replaced the previous Veterans' Day, first observed in 2006. The date was chosen as it marked the day after the anniversary of the first investiture ceremony for the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

military medal for heroism, held on 26 June 1857. The 2009 celebrations were centred on

Chatham Historic Dockyard The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a maritime museum on part of the site of the former royal/naval dockyard at Chatham in Kent, South East England. Chatham Dockyard covered 400 acres (1.6 km²) and was one of the Royal Navy's main faciliti ...

– a former

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

base. The Prime Minister

Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chance ...

and his wife

Sarah Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a piou ...

, and Prince Richard, the Duke and his Duchess of Gloucester, attended as the official party, along with the head of the unified Armed Forces,

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...

Sir Jock Stirrup Marshal of the Royal Air Force Graham Eric Stirrup, Baron Stirrup, (born 4 December 1949), informally known as Jock Stirrup, is a former senior Royal Air Force commander who was the Chief of the Defence Staff from 2006 until his retirement in ...

, and Defence Minister

Kevan Jones Kevan David Jones (born 25 April 1964) is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Durham since 2001. He served as a defence minister under Gordon Brown, and resigned as a shadow defence minister ...

. The

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

, a Crown Dependency, held its events a month later on 26 July 2009. The 2010 event was centred on

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

and in 2011 it was Edinburgh's turn. Smaller events were held throughout the United Kingdom.
UK Armed Forces Day 2012
was centred on

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

and took place on Saturday 30 June. Smaller events were held throughout the United Kingdom. The Isle of Man hold
its event
on Sunday 24 June.

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, su ...

was chosen to be the host location for the 2020 UK Armed Forces Day event on Saturday 27 June. Scarborough was announced as the venue in June 2018, after submitting a bid which was described by the

MoD Mod, MOD or mods may refer to: Places * Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band * M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...

as "outstanding". The event was due to take place on 27 June 2020, and would have contained a large programme of events taking place on the day and in the build up to the event. The AFD became a "virtual event" after the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

and so Scarborough Borough Council created a website hosting military related content instead. The AFD for 2021, will be held in Scarborough in lieu of the 2020 event.

Oceania

Australia and New Zealand

ANZAC Day , image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg , caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary. , observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...

is a public holiday commemorated on 25 April. It is a national day of remembrance in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served." The date commemorates the landings in 1915 at Anzac Cove on the coast of the

Dardanelles The Dardanelles (; tr, Çanakkale Boğazı, lit=Strait of Çanakkale, el, Δαρδανέλλια, translit=Dardanéllia), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli from the Gallipoli peninsula or from Classical Antiquity as the Hellespont (; ...

and the

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...

of the old

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

(modern

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

) by

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

and

combined military forces in the

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood comma ...

, the beginning of the costly casualties of the Gallipoli campaign in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. There is also a Reserve Forces Day in Australia first celebrated in 1998 for "the 50th anniversary of the reforming of the Citizen Military Forces after World War II on 1 July 1948 and Reserve service. The date of the first of July was chosen as the official date of Reserve Forces Day with the celebrations being held on that day or the weekend before or following that date."

References

External links

{{commons category, Armed Forces days
DefenseLINK: Armed Forces Day (U.S.)

Image of young boys posing next to a railway rifle on Army Day at Fort MacArthur, San Pedro, 1930s.

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library,

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

. Types of national holidays Armed Forces days Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month) United States flag flying days

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References

External links