Following the September 11th attacks in 2001, President George W. Bush called for the establishment of the USA Freedom Corps, a "Coordinating Council... working to strengthen our culture of service and help find opportunities for every American to start volunteering". The Freedom Corps was to have three components: responding to crisis, rebuilding communities, and sharing compassion with the world. The Medical Reserve Corps was created as an extension of the Freedom Corps. As of 2017, there are 957 active MRC units.
