White House plans big military parade for Trump's birthday: 6600 troops, 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters

Plans for a military parade to mark President Donald Trump's birthday in June call for more than 6600 troops, at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and possibly as many as XNUMX civilians, according to Associated Press.

Photo: Roberto Galan | Dreamstime.com

The plans, obtained by The Associated Press, are dated April 29 and 30. They have not been publicly released and represent the latest iteration of a plan to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. military on the Mall, a date that would coincide with a major military parade that Trump has long dreamed of holding.

The army's anniversary coincides with Trump's 79th birthday, June 14.

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Although the documents do not provide cost estimates, a parade of this size would cost tens of millions of dollars. The costs include transporting military vehicles, equipment, aircraft and troops from across the country to Washington, D.C., and providing food and housing for the thousands of people who serve them.

The high costs have stalled Trump's efforts to hold a parade in his first term, and tanks and other heavy equipment included in recent plans have raised concerns among city officials that heavy military equipment could cause significant damage to roads.

Asked about plans for the parade, Army spokesman Steve Warren said May 1 that no final decisions had been made.

Col. Dave Butler, another troop spokesman, said the Army was excited about plans for the anniversary.

"We want to make this an event that the entire nation can celebrate with us," Butler said. "We want Americans to get to know their military and their soldiers."

Other sources familiar with the documents, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Army is waiting for the White House to approve the parade idea. There has been no formal approval yet. The plan has been amended in recent weeks and is still not finalized.

In a post on Truth Social on the evening of May 1, without mentioning plans for Juneteenth, Trump wrote, "We will begin to celebrate our victories again!" He promised to rename May 14th, known as Victory in Europe Day, "Victory in World War II Day," and November 8th, (Veterans Day), "Victory in World War I Day."

Most of the equipment must be delivered by rail or air.

The celebration includes a variety of events and exhibits on the National Mall, including fitness competitions, a rock climbing wall, and an exhibit of Humvees, helicopters, and other military vehicles.

However, the parade will increase the number of equipment and troops. According to plans, up to 6300 troops will march in columns, while the rest will be engaged in support and logistics tasks for the event.

There had previously been no plans for a parade to mark the occasion, but officials confirmed last month that the army had begun discussing holding one.

Plans call for troops from at least 11 corps and divisions across the country to participate in the parade. That could include a Stryker battalion with two companies of Stryker vehicles, a tank battalion, two tank companies, an infantry battalion with Bradley vehicles, Paladin artillery vehicles, howitzers and infantry vehicles.

In addition, seven army orchestras will be involved. The Golden Knights parachute team will make demonstration jumps. According to the documents, civilian participants will provide historical vehicles and aircraft, two orchestras, as well as representatives of veterans groups, military colleges and reenactor organizations.

The plan is to classify the parade as a National High Security Event. A request to that effect has been submitted by the National Park Service and is under review.

The evening parade is expected to end with a concert and fireworks.

One of the documents contains some restrictions, including questions about the deployment of troops and “significant concerns about the safety requirements” of transporting equipment into the city. The biggest question that remains open is which units will participate in the parade.

Trump has long dreamed of a major military parade

In his first term, Trump proposed a similar celebration after seeing France's Bastille Day parade in 2017. He said he wanted to hold an even grander event on Pennsylvania Avenue after the two-hour march down the Champs-Elysees.

The plan was scrapped due to the enormous cost (one estimate put it at $92 million) and other logistical issues, including city officials objecting because tanks and other heavy armor would damage roads.

Trump, in a 2018 social media post, said he was canceling the event due to costs and accused local politicians of price gouging.

This year, as the Army's plans for a commemorative festival in Washington progress, talk of a parade has been renewed.

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Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed in April that the administration had contacted the city about hosting a June 14 parade that would run from Arlington, Virginia, home to the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River to Washington.

Bowser said at the time that she didn't know whether the event would be a military parade, but noted that tanks driving through city streets "isn't a good idea."

“If military tanks are used, they should be accompanied by many millions of dollars in road repairs,” she stressed.

In 2018, the Pentagon seemed to agree. A memo from the defense secretary’s staff indicated that parade plans at the time included only wheeled vehicles and no tanks, to minimize damage to local infrastructure.

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