Thousands of soldiers coming to Washington, D.C., next month will be housed in government buildings in the city as part of an unusual military parade, an idea originally floated by President Donald Trump during his first term in office.
The June 14 military parade, which coincides with Trump’s 79th birthday, will include about 6,600 soldiers as well as tanks, armored personnel carriers and aircraft on top of other festivities throughout the week in celebration of the Army’s 250th birthday, according to the service. Roughly 150 vehicles, including Strykers, M1 Abrams tanks and Humvees, along with 50 aircraft, will take part.
The soldiers will come from all 10 of the Army’s active-duty divisions located across the country, and most will be housed in the General Services Administration and Agriculture Department buildings in the city, The Washington Post reported. All told, the festivities could cost between $25 million and $45 million, Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro said.
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Celebratory events will start at the beginning of the week and will conclude with the parade, fireworks and a fitness competition, Castro said.
During his first term, Trump asked the Pentagon to plan a military parade with the armed forces that never came to fruition. Such parades have been rare in modern American history. In 1991, the country held a Gulf War victory celebration in Washington, D.C., that included a parade with troops, tanks and military aircraft flyovers.
Trump’s earlier attempt at holding a military parade on Veterans Day during his first term ultimately was abandoned in 2018 due to a cost estimated at $92 million, with Trump claiming D.C. was requesting too much money for the event.
“When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I canceled it. Never let someone hold you up!” Trump posted on social media at the time, according to The Associated Press.
The upcoming celebration has drawn consternation from local D.C. officials anticipating damage to roads from the tanks, which can weigh more than 60 tons, and at least one organization submitted a permit application to the National Park Service to protest it, according to The Washington Post.
Daniel Gleick, a spokesperson for the D.C. mayor’s office, told Military.com that it did not have any additional comment regarding cleanup or repair concerns, but referred the publication to a February comment from Mayor Muriel Bowser in which she said “if military tanks were used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads.”
Reuters reported Thursday that the up-to-$45 million price tag for the events did not include repairs or trash cleanup. The Associated Press reported Friday that the Army will install metal plates on roads to reduce damage from 25 M1 Abrams tanks expected to traverse the nearly 3-mile route from the Pentagon, over the Arlington Memorial Bridge and ending near 15th Street.
Units will fund travel for soldiers and vehicle transportation, which will be done by rail, and aircraft will fly in, according to the Army. Roughly 6,600 soldiers will travel to D.C. for the events, according to Castro.
She said that “the duration will vary,” regarding how long soldiers will be housed in government facilities.
The mayor’s office referred Military.com to the U.S. Secret Service for questions regarding security during the events, but that agency did not respond by publication.
Past events such as Trump’s inaugurations in 2017 and January have caused protests in D.C., and public demonstrations have sprung up around the country during the first months of his second term.
“The Army takes the safety and physical well-being of our soldiers, families and all those who will be celebrating [the] Army’s 250th birthday in Washington, D.C., seriously,” Castro said when asked about protests. “We are coordinating with local law enforcement, U.S. Park Police and the U.S. Secret Service to ensure appropriate security measures are taken, and those in attendance can safely celebrate.”
Related: Trump Administration Is Having Early Talks to Hold a Military Parade in Nation’s Capital on June 14
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