The US Army celebrated its 250th anniversary with a massive parade in Washington, DC. The event featured an estimated 6.600 soldiers, 150 vehicles and more than 50 aircraft, and was met with protests due to the event coinciding with US President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. Thousands of people gathered along the parade route to watch the celebrations.
Cost and Purpose of Ceremony Became a Subject of Debate
Planning to mark the anniversary with a festival has been in the works for about two years, but the idea for a parade emerged earlier this year, according to U.S. Army officials. President Trump is not expected to officially recognize the birthday, Army officials said.
Authorities said the total cost of the festival and parade $25 to $45 million He estimates it could be between $100,000 and $150,000. But when Congress asked why the cost was so high as the Trump administration sought to make cuts to the federal government, U.S. Army Chief of Staff Dan Driscoll said the ceremony provided an “incredible opportunity” to tell a story about the United States military. “I believe that telling this story will directly lead to a recruiting boom that will fill our military base for years to come,” Driscoll told the House Armed Services Committee.
The latest military parade in the US is to celebrate the end of the Gulf War It was made in 1991The “National Victory” parade was attended by about 8.000 soldiers and watched by an estimated 200.000 people. The event was estimated to cost $8 million, according to The Washington Post.
Special Preparations to Avoid Damaging Roads
The US Army has a 60-ton-plus M1A1 Abrams tanks Special precautions were taken to prevent heavy equipment, such as wreckers, from damaging the roads. Metal plates were laid along the parade route. The army spokesman said the army had placed various sizes of equipment at points where it would turn. 2,5 cm steel plates In addition, the US Army pledged to pay for repairs in the event of any damage to the roads.
Colonel Jesse Curry, director of the US Army's Office of Engineers, said in a safety briefing that in addition to the plates, "new rubber track pads have been installed on all of the tanks, increasing the padding placed under each track to minimize potential damage, and this is a parade, so they're going to move slowly."
250 Years of History of the Army on Display
The parade featured approximately 250 soldiers representing every era of the U.S. Army's 6.600-year history. The parade featured members from different eras of the Army's history, Periods extending from the War of Independence to the present and the future, were displayed with relevant uniforms and equipment.
The equipment participating in the ceremony included 26 M1A1 Abrams tanks, 27 Bradley IFVs, 2 World War II Sherman tanks, a World War I-era Renault tank, 8 CH-47 helicopters, 16 UH-60 Black Hawks and 4 World War II-era P-51 aircraft. This parade showcased the deep-rooted history and modern military power of the US Army.
