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The massive military parade in DC celebrates the Army’s 250th anniversary this Saturday. This also includes President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. On the anniversary, Trump spoke about the upcoming parade, saying, “We’re going to have a great time. We’re going to have a great celebration.”
Expect a massive crowd, traffic and travel disruption, fireworks, air shows, and displays of troops and tanks rolling along DC Street.
What will the participants see at the DC Army Parade?
Since its announcement, the parade has grown into scope and participation.
The evening parade involves thousands of troops marching to form, dressed in uniforms representing all US conflicts dating back to the revolutionary war that began in 1775. Each war is represented by an army of 60 men in costumes of the period, then 400 men in the same unit in uniforms in modern combat dresses.
It is expected that more than 100 military vehicles will be involved, including the M1A2/Abrams tanks. According to handouts from the Army, there are Black Hawks, Apaches, Chinook helicopters, and Bradley combat vehicles.
In late May, huge tanks were loaded onto the train north of Austin, Texas, and dozens of giant trucks and how guns were also expected to travel from Texas to DC, so we began to see some of them.
The parade is preceded by a festival at the National Mall, followed by Army Golden Knights, concerts and parachute jumps with fireworks.
According to the US 250 website, Trump is expected to be “remarking “the extraordinary service, important achievements and lasting legacy of the US Army.”
Advances Saturday’s Army parade and festival, Secret Service and DC police say safety is a top priority. Reported by Mark Segraves of News4.
What is the schedule for the Military Parade event on Saturday, June 14th?
Here is the schedule provided by the Army:
🕤9:30am to 12:30pm – Army Fitness Competition and National Mall Awards
🕚11am to 6pm – Army Birthday Festival at the National Mall, open to the public (performance and presentation lineup available here)
🕡6:30pm – Army 250th birthday parade
7:30pm to 9:30pm at ammerventhernational Mall
Fitness competition and festival guest entries are expected to start at 8am, while parade guest entries are expected to start at 2pm
Where is the military parade happening?
The parade is expected to roll along Constitutional Avenue along the north side of the National Mall from NW 23rd Avenue to 15th Avenue NW.
Do you need Army Festival and Parade tickets?
The festival and parade are open to the public for free. No tickets have been issued, but you can RSVP for events here.
Can I reserve a seat for the military parade?
no. There are no seats or bleachers, so participants must prepare only for the standing room.
What about the security of the event?
This event is classified as a National Special Security Event (NSSE). This is categorized as “an event of national or international importance that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) considers as a potential target for terrorism and other criminal activity.”
The Secret Service explains: “Specifying NSSE allows critical resources from federal government and state and local partners to be used to ensure robust security plans are implemented.
When it comes to security perimeters, the public has three entry points. Maps shared by DC police show the locations of those entry points.
About a block west of the White House oval, north of Constitution Avenue at National Mall on 14th Avenue, between the NW of the Constitution Mall in the National Mall of Constitution NW, between the NW between the Constitution and the NW on Independence Street.
The first two checkpoints are for accessing the parade. The third checkpoint provides access to the festival.
DC Police has published a list of prohibited items, including backpacks, bags, and softside coolers that exceed 18″x13″x7″.
“The Secret Service has worked 24 hours a day with state, local and federal partners to create a safe environment for everyone who wants to attend Saturday’s event,” Secret Service’s Washington Field Office Special Agent Matt McCool said in a release Monday. “Our biggest goal is to implement a massive security plan this weekend to ensure the safety and security of parents and the public.”
What will be closed in DC during military parades and festivals?
Airspace:
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement last week that all arrivals and departures at Reagan National Airport will be suspended “at the peak of celebration.”
A senior government official told NBC News that ground stops are expected between 6:30pm and 9pm, affecting around 116 flights. Time is preliminary and could change, officials said.
The Metropolitan Washington Airport Administration has warned on the airport’s website that flights can be suspended.
“The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to halt airline operations at the DCA as it will accommodate aircraft overpasses along the parade route and fireworks displays will continue. “Customers who book flights on the evening of June 14th will need to check the airline’s direct flight status.”
The closure of roads around the airport is possible, officials said. The fireworks seen at the airport are “strongly discouraged.”
On the evening of the military parade, there is a ground stop at Reagan National Airport. Reported by Jackie Bensen of News4.
Streets and parking:
A long list of road closures and parking restrictions is in effect and will last until the beginning of Monday. The Arlington Memorial Bridge and parts of the George Washington Memorial Parkway are one of the best closures.
Here you can see a complete list of road closures and areas posted as local traffic only or “emergency parking”.
1 Metro Station Entrance/Exit:
According to the Army, the northwest entrance/exit of the Smithsonian metropolitan area will be closed. Metro passengers entering and exiting the station must use the Southwest entrance/exit of Independent Street instead.
Metro could also destroy some Metro bus routes due to road closures and security perimeters, Metro warned.
Waterway:
Waterways around the district will be closed as part of the parade’s security plan. The tide bas and parts of the Potomac River between the bridges on Roosevelt Island and 14th Avenue are restricted.
The Coast Guard stated: “The lawsuit is being carried out to protect government officials, mitigate potential terrorist behavior and incidents, and to enhance public and maritime safety and security just before, before and after this event.”
Will tanks cause damage to DC Street during military parades?
Among other vehicles, over 20 M1 Abrams main battle tanks are expected to run through DC. Each of these tanks weighs over 60 tons.
To protect DC Street from these heavy vehicles, the Army Corps of Engineers places large metal plates on part of the parade route. Installations begin overnight until June 5th and continue until the parade day of June 14th.
Metal sheetings are considered the best way to protect your street. Each plate weighs several hundred pounds and is placed at a point along the parade route where the tank rotates. Where these metal and rubber tracks help to move, they can do the most damage.
“Currently, steel plating is standard industrial steel plating for construction zones, and only provides an area for trucks to go up and turn,” Lt. Col. Mark Pollack, a member of the Army Corps of Engineers, told News4 last week.
Tanks and armor personnel will roll along in line with the constitution. To protect the city’s streets, the Army Corps of Engineers lowers metal plates. News4’s Megan McGrath reports.
“When the track rotates, the inside track needs to be slower and it almost drags to the side,” Pollack said. The metal plates focus on 13 locations along the route the vehicle needs to rotate.
Trucks are more modern army vehicles in the parade, and larger tracking vehicles are more modern army vehicles. These include the M1 Abram Stank, the M2 Bradley, the Paladin How Sheet Cannon, and the smaller vehicles, such as the M109, which most people think about.
Concerns about the weight of the tanks and what they would do with the streets of DC ultimately prevented them from being used in the parade during Trump’s first term.
DC mayor Muriel Buffer, who was in the way to stay on the good side of Trump, has not disguised his discomfort at the outlook of an armored vehicle biting downtown asphalt. She was still openly wary, despite her guarantee that all repair costs and metal plate plans would be covered, according to the Associated Press.
“I think there was time and attention to how to operate this heavy machinery in a way that doesn’t damage it. [roads]”I’m continuing to worry about it. If they can’t be used, we have to make them easier to use and then ask for money from the federal government.”
How much does the military parade cost?
The parade comes with a price tag of an estimated $25 million to $45 million, an Army spokesperson told CNBC. US military leaders told NBC News that the figures include repair costs for DC Street after fanfare, costing more than $16 million.
Some DC natives and tourists told News4 that they are happy with the parade but are worried about the street and dollar numbers.
“I think the morale in the military is pretty low, so it’s good to parade,” one man said. “That’s not really a big deal because it matches your birthday, but military parades are a good idea. But again, the cost is a bit overkill.”
In an interview last month on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump defended the cause by saying, “it was peanuts compared to the value of doing it.”
The story includes reports by Ashraf Khalil, Tara Copp and Michelle L. Price of the Apsocige Press.
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