President Donald J. Trump's 2025 proclamation designates the third Saturday of May as Armed Forces Day.
The proclamation praises the service and sacrifice of America's military personnel across all branches, highlighting increased recruitment numbers and expressing gratitude for their dedication to national security and humanitarian missions.
It encourages Americans to display the flag and participate in local Armed Forces Day observances, furthering public understanding and appreciation.
Arguments For
Honoring Military Service: The proclamation acknowledges the significant contributions of the Armed Forces in protecting national security and providing humanitarian aid, recognizing their dedication and sacrifice.
Boosting Recruitment: The proclamation highlights increased enlistment numbers, suggesting a positive impact of efforts to strengthen the military. The rising recruitment numbers serve as evidence of the effectiveness of the administration's policies.
Promoting National Unity and Patriotism: The proclamation encourages public displays of support for the military, fostering a sense of national pride and appreciation for their service. This initiative aims to promote civic engagement and collective recognition of servicemen and women.
Historical Precedent: The proclamation continues a long-standing tradition of presidential proclamations recognizing Armed Forces Day, maintaining established protocols and formal acknowledgment of the military's role.
Promoting Military Excellence: The proclamation emphasizes the administration's commitment to maintaining a strong military, bolstering national defense and global standing. This represents a clear policy goal and intention.
Arguments Against
Limited Practical Impact: While the proclamation expresses gratitude, it lacks concrete actions to directly improve the lives of military personnel or address systemic issues within the armed forces. The symbolic gesture may not translate into material improvements.
Potential for Political Instrumentality: Presidential proclamations, especially those around patriotic holidays, can be seen as politically motivated attempts to garner public support or shape a particular narrative. This may undermine the sincere intent behind the honor given to the Armed Forces.
Alternative Approaches: Alternative methods to honor military personnel, such as increased funding for veterans' services or policy changes to improve conditions for active duty members, could have a more substantial and lasting effect. This points to the need to look beyond symbolic recognition.
Lack of Specific Initiatives: The proclamation lacks details on supporting initiatives for active service members, veterans, or their families. Therefore, the significance of the acknowledgement is limited in scope and impact.
Superseding Previous Proclamation: The superseding of Proclamation 10762 highlights the potential for inconsistencies or changing priorities in government pronouncements, which could leave certain aspects of the recognition potentially less impactful if repeated frequently.
Presidential Actions
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION
On Armed Forces Day, we pause to honor the men and women of America’s Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force. Every day, throughout our homeland and in far-flung regions of the world, our fighting forces valiantly safeguard our liberty, defend our border, and support global stability through humanitarian missions and disaster relief operations. In America’s legacy of awe-inspiring heroes, they are without equal.
As Commander in Chief, my highest responsibility is to ensure our all-volunteer military, 2.1 million-strong, is the world’s most lethal fighting force. I have taken bold steps to prioritize military excellence and readiness across every branch of service, ensuring that all active duty, National Guard, and Reserve members who wear our Nation’s uniform are prepared to deploy, fight, and win against any adversary in any domain. America’s military will soon be stronger and more powerful than ever before. Since November, enlistment numbers for every branch of the Armed Forces have surged — recruitment is now the highest it has been in 30 years.
On Armed Forces Day, we celebrate those for whom patriotism is not a passive, lofty ideal, but a way of life that is measured by the unyielding commitment to serve this Nation with valor, vigilance, integrity, and devotion to duty. It is worthy not only of a day of recognition but also a lifetime of respect from a grateful Nation.
The First Lady joins me in saluting our service members — on land, at sea, and in air and space — along with their devoted families, who share in this legacy of service and sacrifice.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, continuing the tradition of my predecessors in office, do hereby proclaim the third Saturday of each May as Armed Forces Day. I invite the Governors of the States and Territories and other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to provide for the observance of Armed Forces Day within their jurisdiction in an appropriate manner designed to increase public understanding and appreciation of our Armed Forces. I call upon all Americans to display the flag of the United States at their homes and businesses on Armed Forces Day, and I urge citizens to learn more about military service by attending and participating in the local observances of the day. Proclamation 10762 of May 17, 2024, is hereby superseded.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
This proclamation, issued by President Trump, declares the third Saturday of May as Armed Forces Day.
It honors the men and women serving in all branches of the U.S. military for their service and sacrifices, both at home and abroad.
The proclamation emphasizes the administration's commitment to a strong military and highlights the recent increase in military recruitment.
It calls on all Americans to show their support by displaying the flag and attending local Armed Forces Day events.
Finally, the proclamation officially replaces a previous proclamation (Proclamation 10762) on the same subject.
The president's signature and the date of issuance concludes the document.