Armenians living in the United States enlisted in the US Armed Forces. Several Armenian doctors served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Others joined the American Army during the Spanish-American war or 1898. One participant was Ohanes Topalian from the town of Gurun in the Ottoman Empire; shortly after immigrating to the United States he joined the US Army fighting against Spain in Mexico. He was awarded with US medals for military service and with a medal of the State of Rhode Island. AnotherArmenian who joined the war from Rhode Island was Melcon Mangasarian.

During the Hamidian massacres of 1894-96 and Adana massacres of 1909, the formation of

Armenian military units in Massachusetts and Rhode Island was aimed at training young Armenians in military tactics and skills for military service. Examples were of such groups were "Hrair" and "Antranig".

After World War I, dozens of Armenians from Rhode Island enlisted in both Armenian voluntary military groups fighting in the Middle East and the Caucasus, and the US Armed forces involved in the European battlefields. Among them was Private First Class Tateos Heditsian of Providence. Rhode Island, who was cited in Orders of the "Yankee" division for marked gallantry in maintaining ammunition supply during the second battle of the Marne and was awarded the silver star.