On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the Flag Act, which resolved "That the flag of the United States be made of 13 stripes, alternately red and white and that the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." The Army Reserve honors the cherished symbol of freedom and the work of our Soldiers in defense of everything it represents.