Armed Forces day is a holiday for commemorating the service of the troops who defend the country and put their lives at risk on a regular basis. The day was established in the year 2009 and it keeps growing through the years. The organization of the holiday gets a lot of volunteers who want to give back to the courageous soldiers and celebrate their bravery. If you wish to take part in the celebration you may want to know when is Armed Forces Day in 2017. The answer is on Saturday 24 June.
The month June is also rich for the national holidays including Queen’s official birthday. The date was chosen for all the monarchs to share, which also makes it a day of the memory.
21st of June is also a great military-related holiday — The Reserves Day. It honors hard working people who decided to devote their time to help their defenders.
History and order
At first, there was a Veteran’s day celebrated in 2006 up until 2009. Then the name was changed to include more people and have a bigger impact on the military society. The holiday was created as a way for people to communicate with a world of the military through live events and presentations.
The hosting town changes every year. The holiday has already been held in Kent, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Plymouth, Nottingham, Stirling, Guildford and Lincolnshire.
Some of the activities are occupied in the docs or on the special grounds to demonstrate the professionalism while taking part in the military contests and challenges.
More than 200 British soldiers and officers of all kinds of troops usually come to the city to participate in the celebrations, as well as about 450 veterans. They march to the accompaniment of a military band. The ceremony is followed by a span of RAF aircraft over the city.
Similar celebrations in honor of the armed forces are held in 200 towns and cities of the United Kingdom.
What a day! Armed Forces Day in 2017 is going to be held in the Liverpool. Hopefully, the event will be visited by hundreds of thousands of people willing to support the military.
The Queen has a coin dedicated to the Military Forces Day. It can be acquired by the coin collectors as a rare specimen for their collection. One side is a regular regal profile and the other contains the logo of the AF.
Meaning
The deep significance of the day is in the support it brings to the soldiers and especially their families who wait for them at home. People are welcome to organize fairs and make requests for “Open Days”. Soldiers are happy to interact with civilians, to answer their questions, visit school events, make speeches and take photos. The whole idea of the holiday is to make regular people relate to the hardships of the people in the uniform. Another aim is to help them not to see troops as a threat but as an ally who is always ready to come to the rescue of those in need.
It doesn’t matter when is Armed Forces Day 2017. You can call any serving person and say that you’re proud of them any day of the year. But the holiday may be a good reminder to contact a soldier who is serving in faraway lands. A simple phone call may remind them of the love and support going their way at all times. It doesn’t even have to be a relative or a significant other — dozens of people write letters and participate in programs to support troops on dangerous missions using kind words. Sometimes it’s just a simple chat that changes a lot.
Related events
There are numerous arrangements organized across the country that help people to understand the tough work of the defense forces better. Royal Navy and Royal Marines hold big marathons with hardcore obstacles for teams to overcome. These events help to raise awareness and even money for the good causes. Such things may even be called “challenges” and include pop stars which make them even more public because it makes them resonate with the popular internet culture.
Such events usually coincide with charity campaigns. Different organizations work alongside each other to create a strong union and get through the hardships.
It’s common for different military organizations to raise money for the sick children or make a campaign about gender equality.
Television and radio reporters will certainly know what fill the air with on June 24. They sure know what is the date of Armed Forces Day 2017! Parades and marches are filmed by the BBC and made into spectacular reports later on. Also, the galas held by the military orchestras are a significant event of the season, so the social media are flooded with videos and posts of all sorts afterward.
Speaking of the social media: a huge campaign that literally anyone can participate in is “Salute Our Forces” which includes a saluting challenge which can be posted as a selfie or a video. There are numerous videos on the official site of the Armed Forces Day that shows officers showing the civilians how to salute properly in different parts of the army.
Greetings
As the holiday rolls closer you can consider creating new ways to greet the veterans. You could make a donation to one of the military organizations or volunteer to work at the local retirement center for veterans.
When is “Armed Forces Day in 2017” calendar going out? It’s up to you! It’ll actually be a great present for your friends or soldiers that are going to start serving abroad soon. Collect some photos, design the frame and the perfect memo is ready! It can also become a T-Shirt or a cup.
Now UK Armed Forces include air and naval forces, as well as ground forces, which are the most numerous and include the missile troops and artillery, mechanized and tank troops, highly mobile airborne troops of army aviation and air defense. The Armed Forces include services such as the Spec Ops, and rescue forces, the State Service for Emergency Situations, and so on. We are very happy to say thanks to all of our military who gave their lives to protect the country. People would like to tell you a sincere «thank you» and wish a peaceful sky. Congratulations!