Armed Forces Day is celebrated Saturday, May 17 this year. The holiday serves as a time to honor serving members of the military as well as those who have previously served,according to the USO. The holiday is celebrated every year on the third Saturday of May, which falls duringNational Military Appreciation Monthand is shortly afterVE Dayand shortly beforeMemorial Day. Here's what you need to know about Armed Forces Day. The difference between Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Armed Forces Day is in who is being honored. Veterans Day honors those who previously served in war while Memorial Day honors those who died in war. The USO says the holiday was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life. The holiday covers the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force and Coast Guard. Some military members may bristle at the Coast Guard being included during peacetime, however definitions in theNational Security Act of 1947include the guard in the definition of "Armed Forces." The first Armed Forces Day took place on May 20, 1950. When President Harry Trumanissued the proclamation starting the holidayearlier in the same year, he called upon the nation to, "participate in exercises expressive of our recognition of the skill, gallantry, and uncompromising devotion to duty characteristic of the Armed Forces in the carrying out of their missions." The celebration was created by then-Secretary of Defense, Louis Johnson, on Aug. 31, 1949 to replace recognition days for the individual service branches, according to the USO. President John F. Kennedy turned the celebrationinto a national holiday in 1961. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Armed Forces Day 2025: What's the meaning and origin of the holiday?