About This Stamp
In 2025, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and honors its service to the nation. First established during the Revolutionary War as the American colonies fought for independence, the Army is now a global force with a clear purpose: to fight and win America’s wars.
This stamp features the United States Army Symbol against a white background. The Army Symbol shows the Great Seal of the United States with the words “UNITED STATES” on its top edge, four stars on each of the side edges, and “ARMY” on its bottom edge. The word “ARMY” appears in red above the Army Symbol at the top of the stamp. Below the Army Symbol, text reads “250 YEARS OF SERVICE” in red, “SINCE 1775” in blue, and “FOREVER/USA” in smaller gray type. “CELEBRATING 250 YEARS OF THE U.S. ARMY” appears in red on the top of the stamp pane.
After the firing of the first shots of the Revolutionary War in Massachusetts in April 1775, militias in New England were at the forefront of the fighting. While meeting in Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress understood the need for an army to represent the colonies and resolved to establish the Continental Army on June 14, 1775. Within days, George Washington was unanimously nominated and then officially commissioned as commander in chief.
Predating the establishment of the United States on July 4, 1776, by more than a year, the Army has been called America’s first national institution. With its Revolutionary-era motto “This We’ll Defend,” today’s Army includes approximately 450,000 active-duty soldiers, more than 325,000 soldiers in the Army National Guard, nearly 190,000 soldiers in the Army Reserve, and more than 265,000 civilians who provide mission-essential support, all of whom remain dedicated to the Army’s core values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.
Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp.
The U.S. Army 250th stamp is being issued as a Forever® stamp. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.
Stamp Art Director, Stamp Designer
Antonio Alcalá
Antonio Alcalá served on the Postmaster General’s Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 2010 until 2011, when he left to become an art director for the U.S. Postal Service's stamp development program.
He is founder and co-owner of Studio A, a design practice working with museums and arts institutions. His clients include: the National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Phillips Collection, and Smithsonian Institution. He also lectures at colleges including the Corcoran College of Art + Design, SVA, Pratt, and MICA.
In 2008, his work and contributions to the field of graphic design were recognized with his selection as an AIGA Fellow. He has judged international competitions for the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, AIGA, and Graphis. Alcalá also serves on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and Poster House Museum’s advisory councils. His designs are represented in the AIGA Design Archives, the National Postal Museum, and the Library of Congress Permanent Collection of Graphic Design.
Alcalá graduated from Yale University with a BA in history and from the Yale School of Art with an MFA in graphic design. He lives with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia.