The US is planning to hold a grand military parade on Trump's birthday – AP
Kyiv • UNN
The US Army is developing a plan for a military parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the army, which coincides with Trump's birthday. Thousands of soldiers and equipment will participate.
New plans for a possible military parade to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Army, coinciding with US President Donald Trump's birthday, call for more than 6,600 soldiers, at least 150 vehicles and 50 helicopters. This was reported by the Associated Press, reports UNN.
The publication notes that it received planning documents for the event, dated April 29 and 30, which have not yet been released. According to them, the US Army has developed a new plan for the 250th Anniversary Festival on the National Mall and added to it the large military parade that Trump has long wanted.
The anniversary of the army coincides with the 79th birthday of the President of the United States, June 14.
Asked about the parade plans, Army spokesman Steve Warren said on Thursday that no final decisions had been made yet.
We want to make this an event that the whole country can celebrate with us. We want Americans to know their army and their soldiers. A parade could be part of that, and we think it would be a great addition to what we already have planned
Other sources familiar with the documents said they reflected the Army's plans to prepare for White House approval of the parade.
And while there has been no official approval, changes have been made to the plans in recent weeks, and there are likely to be more, the publication said.
What will be included in the potential army parade
The Army's previous plans for the festival did not include a parade at all, but last month officials confirmed that the Army had begun discussions about adding one.
Initial plans for the festival included a series of events and exhibitions on the National Mall, including a fitness competition, a climbing wall, armored vehicles, Humvees, helicopters and other equipment. Seven army bands and a parachute jump from the "Golden Knights" were also planned. However, recent parade plans have increased the number of vehicles and troops involved. According to them, up to 6,300 servicemen will take part in the event, and the rest will be responsible for other tasks and support.
The documents state that the parade will showcase 250 years of army service and involve soldiers from at least 11 corps and divisions across the country. These may include a Stryker battalion with two companies of Stryker vehicles, a tank battalion and two companies of tanks, an infantry battalion with Bradley vehicles, Paladin artillery vehicles, howitzers and infantry vehicles.
It is also possible to add "historical vehicles and aircraft, two orchestras, as well as representatives of veterans' groups, military colleges and re-enactor organizations."
According to the plan, the parade will be classified as a special national security event. This request has been submitted by the National Park Service and is currently under review.
A concert and fireworks display are expected to follow the evening parade.
One document expresses concern about some restrictions, including the location of troops and "significant concerns about security requirements" as equipment arrives in the city. It says the biggest unknown so far is which units will participate.
How much will it cost
As the publication reported, the slides do not contain any cost estimates, but organizing a parade of this scale is likely to cost tens of millions of dollars. The costs will include moving military equipment, equipment, aircraft and troops from across the country to Washington, as well as the need to feed and house thousands of troops.
During Trump's last term, it was the high costs that stopped his insistence on holding a parade.
Trump has long wanted to hold a large military parade.
During his first term, Trump proposed holding a parade after seeing one in France on Bastille Day in 2017. Trump said that after watching a two-hour procession along the famous Champs-Élysées, he wanted an even grander parade on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The plan was eventually scrapped due to huge costs - estimated at $92 million - and other logistical problems. These included objections from city officials who argued that tanks and other heavy armored vehicles would damage roads.
In 2018, Trump posted on social media that he was canceling the event due to costs and blamed local politicians for raising prices.
This year, talk of a parade has resurfaced in Washington as the topic of an army anniversary celebration has surfaced.
According to the publication, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged in April that the administration had approached the city about holding a parade on June 14 that would "stretch from Arlington, Virginia, home to the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River to Washington."
Bowser said at the time that she did not know if the event was characterized as a military parade, but added that tanks rolling through the city's streets would be inappropriate.
"If military tanks were used, they should be accompanied by many millions of dollars in road repairs," she said.