WASHINGTON (AP) – Tanks are on stage and ready to roll. Fencing and barriers have risen. Protective metal plating is laid out on the streets of Washington.
And more than 6,000 units are poised to march near the National Mall to celebrate the Army’s 250th anniversary on Saturday. This was President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
When the preparations are well, one big unknown is the weather. Rain is predicted, so thunderstorms could interrupt the parade.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said on Thursday that the parade of rain or glow continues. However, if there is lightning, it can be delayed.
“No matter what, there will be a historic celebration of the military members!” Kelly said in a statement.
The military-celebrating one-day festival is planned at the National Mall featuring NFL players, fitness contests and displays, and is culminated in a parade, with an estimated cost of between $25 million and $45 million. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people to attend.
A special review area has been set up for the President, and he is watching as each formation passes through the White House.
Here’s what you’ll expect from Saturday’s parade
A total of 6,169 soldiers and 128 army tanks, armorers and artillery parade in front of the president and viewers, with 62 aircraft passing overhead.
The parade begins with the Battle of Lexington, the first battle of the Revolutionary War, and with the Battle of Lexington, which travels to the present.
Each conflict has an army of 150 people in costumes for the period, followed by a portion of an army of hundreds in modern clothing. Army planners have been thinking of ways to increase the timing to just 90 minutes over the past few weeks, Army spokesman Steve Warren said.
The planners first tried to march the army deep 12 five times, but the parade ran long. To keep it down to accurate time, each section has soldiers marching between seven, reaching 10 depth, Warren said. So, for example, a civil war takes just 3 minutes and 39 seconds, while World War II takes 6 minutes and 22 seconds. Tanks and aircraft
Then there’s the tank. For fans, 8 minutes and 23 seconds after the queue, the World War I Renault Tank appears.
Compared to today’s tanks, the Renault looks smaller and looks like a “Terminator” robot weapon. But they were groundbreaking in their time, allowing for lightweight movements during the deadly trench war of that conflict.
The first aircraft will begin 37 seconds of the parade after 13 minutes and 37 seconds, including two B-25 Mitchell bombers, four P-51 Mustang Fighter aircraft, and one C-47 Skytrain. The latter became famous for its three stripes painted on June 6, 1944 with three stripes painted on the wings and body. This is because thousands of Skytrain aircraft dropped over 13,000 air troops into France on D-Day.
The procession has progressed into the Gulf War, the war on terrorism, and presents the Army’s M1A2 Abrams tanks and other troops.
There are six high-mobility gun rocket systems, or Himmer. This is a mobile rocket launcher that has been highly regarded by Ukraine because it defends it from Russian invasions.
The Army Air Force massive show will fly overhead as a long air parade of UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters shake towards future wars.
The final section of the marching force represents the future of the Army. The band at the US Army Academy in West Point will lead hundreds of future troops, including members of Texas A&M Army Cadets, new enlists who have just received early Army immigration training, and cadets from the Virginia Military Institute and Citadel in South Carolina.
The final section includes 250 new employees or re-enrolled students. Once they reach the president, they raise their right hand towards him, and Trump swears them to serve.
The parade ends with a celebratory jump by the Army Golden Knights parachute team.
After the parade, a 19-minute fireworks show and concert will close the celebration.
Organizers estimate that hundreds of thousands of people will be able to join Washington to watch the parade live, but there are also many ways to watch it from afar.
The Army is planning to stream parades on its social media channels, and some news outlets, including C-Span and the Fox News channel, have announced plans to air the entire event live. Others, including NBC News Now, will air the parade through streaming services.
The parade is expected to start at 6:30pm, with organizers saying it will last for 90 minutes.
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