They’re not just weekend warriors.

In a move that would create the first militia on the North American continent, the Massachusetts General Court in Salem issued an order on Dec. 13, 1636, requiring all able-bodied men between 16 and 60 years old to create a standing Army for protection.

With that order, what we now know as America’s National Guard was born. The idea was simple: Establish an Army of citizen-soldiers who could be called upon to fight when needed.

U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ashley White, 24, of Alliance, Ohio, assigned to the 230th Brigade Support Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina National Guard, based in Goldsboro, North Carolina, died on October 22, 2011 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked her unit with an improvised explosive device. She is survived by her husband Captain Jason Stumpf, her parents Robert and Deborah, brother Josh, and sister Brittney.

To find out more about Ashley White, click here.

“White”

Five rounds for time of:

15′ Rope climb, 3 ascents

10 Toes to bar

21 Walking lunge steps with 45lb plate held overhead

Run 400 meters