How far can you trace back your military roots?

On my father's side, not too far - my dad served in the Army for 14 years in the 70's and 80's. Got out as a SP7. My grandfather was a Marine in the 2d Marine Division and saw action all over the Pacific from Bougainville, New Guinea, Mindinao, Tarawa, and ultimately, Okinawa. He was wounded three times.

On my mother's side - Grandpa Alfred von Huepel was in WWII, from beginning to end and somehow survived. He saw action in Poland, Russia (his unit nearly destroyed at Vyazma), commanded a battalion at Normandy near Caen, led another in the Bulge, and was in the Ruhr Pocket when Germany Surrendered.
His father was killed on the Eastern Front near Posen in WWI.
His father served during the Franco-Prussian war as a Cavalry Officer.
His Grandfather was a Lancer in the Napoleonic Wars and was killed at Jena.
There is family lore going way back to Medieval times about exploits on behalf of Prussia, Salesia, Augsburg... I don't know how much is true, though.

My wife has my direct family line traced back to a SGT Thomas Butler, a member of the Hartford Train Band in King Phillip's War (1675-1678); she hasn't found documentation for Richard Butler in the Pequot War (1637 -greatx8 grandfather), although he was in Hartfort at the time.

I have traced it back to the Civil War where my Great Great Grandfather served in the Pennsylvania Infantry.

My great grandfather( 6 times) 2nd Lt. Wright Wall 1776-1783. GG Powell's Reg. under General Francis Marion. Had great uncles in the War of 1812 and Civil War. Dad was an Air Medal recipient twice in Vietnam for the Air Force.

I've traced mine back to my fifth great grandfather, Antoine Phillipin dit Belfort. He was a Private in the French Army who deployed to North America to fight against the English in the French and Indian War. He was later recruited by Colonel Livingston to become a soldier in the 1st Canadian Regiment of the Continental Army, rising to the rank of Sgt. I recently discovered a second great grandfather who served in the Connecticut Militia during the Civil War and was wounded at Antietem. Also my grandfather in WWI (Navy and USMC), two uncles in the Navy (WWII), one in the Army Air Force, one in the USMC (WWII) and Army (Korea), one Korean Era (USMC & USAF), and my Dad in the USMC (Korean War). My brother (USAF & USN) and myself (USA & USAF) during the Cold War, Persian Gulf Era & GWOT. And numerous cousins in WWII. Also have a good number of us serving in two services.

1774 - I have seen enlistment papers for an ancestor in the Continental Militia. More recently, my natural paternal grandfather was an officer in the Army in the 1930s. He died of cancer when my father was 7, and his new step-father adopted him. My paternal step-grandfather was enlisted Army and was in the second wave in on Omaha Beach, then fought in the Battle of the Bulge. On the 40-year anniversary, he went back and even found his foxhole in the Ardennes. And my father is a retired Army LTC. He was in Vietnam when I was born.

Let's see, at least two great great grandfathers in the Union Army during the Civil War, a great uncle KIA in WWI, a great uncle and my dad's brother in the Navy in WWII Pacific Theater. My dad was in the Navy between WWII and Korea, two uncles (Air Force) and three cousins in Vietnam (Navy, Army, and Marines). There are some Confederate roots on my mother's side but I'm not sure how closely related they are yet.

Our private cemetery has family military vets from most major wars back to the Revolutionary war. The Historic Society has put several history plaques on my ancestors who fought on both sides of the Civil War and two plaques for two ancestors in the Revolutionary War. About four WW1 graves, and 9 or 10 WW2 graves, about 4 in Korea, and 6 or 7 in Vietnam. Two in the Middle East. I was the first US Marine ever though.

7-X Great Grandfather, Uriah Humble served in the Virginia Militia, French and Indian War, Brocks Gap, Augusta County. 6-X Great Grandfather, Conrad Humble served in the Virginia Militia, French and Indian War, Brocks Gap, Augusta County, later served in the Virginia Militia with the rank of Captain, Brocks Gap, Rockingham County, Revolutionary War, then Kentucky County to serve in Militia Unit led by George Rogers Clark. 5-X Great Grandfather John Fitzwater, Captain, Virginia Militia, Brocks Gap, Rockingham County, Revolutionary War. 4 X-Great Grandfather, Andrew Fitzwater, Private, War of 1812. All of them fought the Shawnee, Delaware (Lenape), Mingo, Miami, Cherokee, Osage etc.. 2 X-Great Grandfather- Joseph Ainley, Private, Confederate Army, 32nd Missouri, then Private, Union Army 31st/ 32nd Missouri Volunteers under the command of General William T. Sheridan. 2-X Grandfather, George Masters, Union Volunteer Cavalry, Missouri. My father, Private, General George Ainley, WWII, and myself, Sergeant E-5, Viet Nam War Era 1970-1973, 82nd Airborne Division, 1974-1993, 28th Infantry Division, 2nd bn/ 111th Inf, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, SFC E-7, Retired, Captain, Infantry. My 10-X Great Grandfather was Paulus Custer, originally from Crefield Germany was Progenitor of two Civil War Boy Generals ( 5th cousins), Major General (Brevet) George Armstrong Custer, Cavalry, and Major General (Brevet) Galusha Pennypacker (Medal Of Honor), Infantry. Also descendants from that family were Major (Brevet) Thomas Custer (2 Medal of Honor), Civil War, Colonel and President Theodore Roosevelt (1 Medal of Honor) Spanish American War, and Major General Theodore Roosevelt III, (1 Medal of Honor), WWII .

We have had someone in our family serve in every war since the civil war, I am the only female to be in the military but have carried on the tradition. My father traced our roots back.