Thousands of soldiers flying or busing into Washington, D.C., next month from more than a dozen Army divisions across the force will be sleeping on cots, eating mostly MREs (and hot chow for dinner), and showering in contracted trailers during the Army’s multimillion-dollar 250th birthday festivities, service officials said Wednesday.
The soldiers — totaling about 6,700 — will stay in two government buildings close to the events, which will include a military parade that coincides with President Donald Trump’s birthday as well as musical performances, flyovers from 50 modern and legacy aircraft, and a fitness competition, officials said. Soldiers will receive $69 per day for “incidentals” should they explore the nation’s capital, pending freedoms authorized by their commanders, the officials added.
The Army officials, who briefed the media on the plans, said they did not expect any costs to be incurred by individual soldiers and that amenities have been contracted by more than a dozen participating Army divisions, which are responsible for funding travel, so troops will not have to use government travel cards for expenses.
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One-hundred and fifty tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Strykers, Paladins and other vehicles will be mostly transported by rail to Maryland, from where they will then travel by truck to stage south of the parade route, passing in front of the White House on June 14 where Trump — whose 79th birthday falls on the same day — will receive a folded American flag from the Army’s Golden Knights parachute team later that evening after they land on the Ellipse.
Those vehicles, specifically 28 M1 Abrams coming from Fort Cavazos in Texas, were already being loaded onto trains Wednesday and will take more than a week to get to D.C. The Army will add roughly one-inch metal plates to various parts of the route a couple days before the parade and fix new pads to the vehicles’ tracks to avoid damage from the 60-ton tanks, a point of contention from city officials.
Army officials said they weren’t expecting any damage to the roads, but would pay for repair costs should it happen. It was unclear whether the Army would pay for trash collection, road closure efforts or other support for the parade.
Soldiers participating in the parade will don uniforms representing U.S. conflicts since the Revolutionary War as tanks and other vehicles, including Shermans and jeeps, will rumble down Constitution Avenue alongside 34 horses, two mules and a dog, officials said. Displays, musical events and demonstrations will occur across the National Mall. There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery the morning of the parade.
At the end of the parade, Trump will enlist or reenlist 250 soldiers hand-selected by their commands to participate in the ceremony, Steve Warren, an Army spokesperson, told reporters at a news conference Wednesday.
“This has been the Army’s birthday. We’ve had 249 previously of these,” Warren said. “We’re excited that the commander in chief is interested in the Army’s 250th anniversary and that he will want to view it.”
The Army will not do a full-scale rehearsal prior to the parade, but key leaders will go over tabletop plans and soldiers will practice drill and ceremony. Recovery vehicles will be on site in the event a vehicle malfunctions during the parade, officials said.
B-25, C-47 and P-51 aircraft will make a flyover as Vietnam-era Huey helicopters buzz through the air, a sensitive issue following January’s deadly midair collision of a Black Hawk and a passenger jet over the Potomac River. Army officials said they were working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration to coordinate air traffic.
The Army expects roughly 200,000 people to attend, citing initial estimates, and that the total cost for the service during the weeklong celebration will be between $25 million and $40 million. That estimate did not include the total government cost for the events, which is being supported by various local and federal entities.
“It is a lot of money. But I think that amount of money is dwarfed by 250 years of service and sacrifice that American soldiers have given this country,” Warren said. “We’re looking at this as an opportunity to really strengthen the connection between America and her Army.”
Warren said that planning for the Army’s 250th birthday celebration started roughly two years ago, but that the idea for the parade was introduced as part of the plan this year. Trump had attempted to host a military parade during his first term, but was unsuccessful due to ballooning costs and what he claimed were price-gouging attempts from D.C. officials.
When asked whether the White House specifically requested the parade, Warren said “this was not a directive that I’m aware of or told, this is something that grew out of discussions over a period of time, I don’t know who gets the credit for saying let’s do a parade.”
The event is considered a “national security special event,” akin to the Super Bowl or a state funeral, he added.
The June 14 events start at 9:30 a.m. with a fitness competition and will conclude with fireworks around 9:45 p.m. Country musicians Noah Hicks and Scotty Hasting, an Army veteran, will perform during the festivities, and the NFL will host a “Kids Zone” across from the Smithsonian Castle.
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