America250: WAEPA Reflects on the Legacy of Our Nation’s Federal Service

For WAEPA, this milestone offers an opportunity to reflect on one group that has played an essential role throughout much of the nation’s history: Federal employees. 

For generations, Federal workers have supported public institutions, responded to crises, and provided services that millions of Americans rely on every day. Their work is often performed quietly and without recognition, but its impact can be found in nearly every corner of American life. 

As the nation marks its semiquincentennial, we pause to recognize the enduring contributions of those who have dedicated their careers to public service.

A Tradition of Service 

The Federal workforce traces its roots to the earliest days of the United States. 

Among the nation’s first Federal employees was Joseph Nourse. Often referred to as America’s first civil servant, Nourse was elected Register of the Treasury by the Confederation Congress in 1781 and reappointed to the position by President George Washington in 1789. 

Nourse served for nearly fifty years, working under the administrations of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Jackson. During a period when the nation itself was still taking shape, he helped establish continuity within the young Federal government. 

Read more about Joseph Nourse’s story > 

More than two centuries later, Federal service looks much different, but those in public service continue to support the functions that allow the country to operate. 

Today’s Federal workforce includes professionals in fields that would have been unimaginable in the eighteenth century. Cybersecurity specialists defend critical systems against digital threats. Air traffic controllers help guide millions of passengers safely through the skies. Benefits specialists assist veterans, retirees, and families. Scientists, engineers, healthcare professionals, law enforcement officers, analysts, inspectors, and countless others contribute their expertise every day. 

The work may look different than it did for Joseph Nourse, but the commitment to service remains a defining characteristic of Federal employment. 

E Pluribus Unum — Out of Many, One 

One of the nation’s oldest mottos, E Pluribus Unum — “Out of many, one” — was proposed by a committee on July 4, 1776. Two and a half centuries later, it remains a useful lens through which to view Federal service. 

The United States is unusual among nations. It is a sovereign country composed of fifty states, multiple territories, tribal communities, and thousands of local jurisdictions, each with its own identities, traditions, and responsibilities. Americans live in different regions, work in different industries, and experience different challenges and opportunities. 

Yet despite those differences, the nation functions as a single union. Americans share a common currency, a common system of laws, national institutions, and the countless systems that connect communities from coast to coast. 

Federal employees have long helped sustain the systems and institutions that make this possible. 

Every day, millions of people rely on systems and services that extend beyond state and local boundaries. Air travel, Social Security, veterans’ benefits, weather forecasting, food safety, disaster response, passport services, public lands, scientific research, and countless other functions depend on Federal employees working behind the scenes. 

While the specific responsibilities vary widely, Federal service is united by a common purpose: supporting the people and institutions that make daily life possible across an entire nation. 

Perhaps that is why E Pluribus Unum continues to resonate after 250 years. Behind the phrase is a simple idea: despite our differences, Americans remain connected to one another in countless ways. Federal service helps sustain many of those connections, often without drawing attention to itself. 

In that sense, Federal employees bring to life the idea embodied in the national motto first proposed 250 years ago.

Serving Through Change 

The history of Federal service is also a story of steadfastness through change. 

Across generations, Federal employees have continued serving through wars, economic upheaval, natural disasters, national emergencies, political transitions, and moments of profound uncertainty. 

During the twentieth century alone, Federal workers helped guide the nation through two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the Cold War. In more recent decades, they have responded to the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and historic government shutdowns. 

Through each challenge, the responsibilities evolved, but the need for dedicated public servants did not. 

Throughout much of the nation’s history, the Federal workforce has remained one of the country’s largest and most stable employers. Generations of Americans have built careers in public service, helping provide continuity through periods of both crisis and calm. 

Many of these efforts occur outside the public spotlight. 

In times of uncertainty, people often find comfort in familiar routines and a sense of normalcy. We expect planes to take off safely; benefits to arrive on time; weather forecasts to be available when storms approach; critical infrastructure to function; emergency assistance to reach communities in need. 

What many Americans may not realize is how often those everyday expectations are supported by Federal employees. 

Often, the highest achievement of Federal service is invisibility. When systems function as expected, they become part of the background of everyday life. When they don’t, their absence is felt immediately. 

When uncertainty arises, continuity matters. For generations, Federal employees have helped provide that continuity — ensuring that even during moments of extraordinary change, the essential services Americans rely on remain available when they are needed most. 

For Feds, By Feds 

WAEPA’s own story is closely connected to the history of Federal service. 

Founded in 1943 during World War II, WAEPA was created in response to a challenge facing Civilian Federal Employees serving overseas. At the time, many Federal workers supporting the war effort in active theaters lacked access to life insurance coverage. WAEPA, known then as the War Agencies Employees Protective Association, was established to help meet that need. 

More than eighty years later, WAEPA’s mission remains the same: promoting the health, welfare, and financial well-being of Feds and their families. 

As the Federal workforce has evolved, WAEPA has worked to evolve alongside it. From expanding insurance offerings to providing financial wellness resources, scholarship opportunities, and other member benefits, the organization has sought to meet the changing needs of Federal employees and their families. 

The nature of Federal service may change over time, but the importance of supporting the people behind that service remains constant. 

Federal employees often spend their careers helping others navigate difficult moments. WAEPA exists to help support Feds and their families through difficult moments of their own — whether planning for the future, preparing for retirement, recovering from a disability, pursuing educational opportunities, or coping with the loss of a loved one. 

As a nonprofit association formed For Feds, By Feds, WAEPA remains proud to support Federal employees not only in their professional lives, but also in the moments that matter most at home. 

Looking Ahead: The Future of Federal Service 

The path forward, as history reminds us, is rarely linear. 

The United States of 2026 is very different from the nation that emerged in 1776, and the challenges facing future generations will undoubtedly differ from those of the past. New technologies will transform workplaces. New priorities will emerge. New problems will demand new solutions. 

What remains unchanged is the need for people willing to serve the public. 

Today, millions of Federal employees continue that work in ways both visible and unseen. They help keep systems functioning, communities connected, and essential services available to the American people. 

As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, WAEPA recognizes the contributions of Federal employees past and present and the role they continue to play in supporting communities across the country. 

For generations, Americans have relied on Federal employees to help meet the everyday needs of a growing and changing nation. That responsibility continues today. 

And as long as Federal employees continue answering the call to serve, WAEPA will remain committed to serving them.