Stage is set and tanks are arriving to celebrate Army's 250th anniversary on Trump's birthday
Stage is set and tanks are arriving to celebrate Army's 250th anniversary on Trump's birthday The tanks and other military vehicles traveled 1,300 miles from Texas by train for the festivities.
Show Caption
Hide Caption
White House plans parade for Trump's bday, Army's 250th anniversary
The White House is planning a massive military parade to celebrate the Army's 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump's 79th birthday.
A nearly mile-long train carried M1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley vehicles, M109 Paladins and Strykers about 1,300 miles from Texas to the capital for the parade.
The parade will include about 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft, according to the Army.
WASHINGTON – The stage is being set – literally – for the military parade June 14 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army that coincides with President Donald Trump's birthday.
Construction workers are erecting a stage along Constitution Avenue near the White House. Steel plates have been embedded in the asphalt to protect roads from 140,000-pound tanks.
And the tanks themselves – and other military vehicles – have begun arriving by train.
"The Army's 250th birthday is a once-in-a-lifetime event," Col. Kamil Sztalkoper, a spokesperson for the III Armored Corps, said as one of the trains left Fort Cavazos in Texas bound for Washington, D.C. "This is a chance to see our soldiers, our leaders and the world-class force on full display in our nation's capital. We look forward to being a part of history."
The day-long festival along the National Mall will feature a parade and fireworks display. The parade will include about 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft, according to the Army.
Trump told NBC News the cost – budgeted at $30 million and potentially rising to $45 million – is 'peanuts' compared to celebrating 'the greatest military in the world.'
Democratic lawmakers have argued Trump is wielding the military for his own political purposes. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said the event is 'all about his ego and making everything about him.'
The first tanks bound for the capital began moving May 21. A nearly mile-long train carried M1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley vehicles, M109 Paladins and Strykers about 1,300 miles from Texas to the capital for the parade.
Soldiers and their equipment will be housed in a Department of Agriculture building and a warehouse owned by the General Service Administration. Chow will consist of two MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and one hot meal per day.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
20 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Trump: Iran strike ‘spectacular success'
Politics Trump: Iran strike 'spectacular success' June 22, 2025 | 2:19 AM GMT In an address to the nation, President Donald Trump, speaking from the White House on June 21, said U.S. warplanes had struck three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Bloomberg
22 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Ether Leads Crypto Selloff as US Attacks Nuclear Sites in Iran
Ether fell sharply while Bitcoin held steady after President Donald Trump said American bombers and missiles had struck Iran's three main nuclear sites. The second-ranked token fell as much as 7.7% on Sunday morning in Asia to about $2,200, its lowest intra-day level since May 9. Bitcoin briefly dipped below $101,000 but pared losses to trade relatively evenly in the aftermath of the attacks.
The Hill
22 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump warns of more attacks; lauds ‘spectacular military success' on Iran nuclear sites
President Trump on Saturday declared U.S. strikes on Iran's key nuclear facilities were a 'spectacular military success,' but warned in an address to the nation that he could order further action if Tehran does not agree to a satisfactory peace agreement. 'Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror,' Trump said in remarks from the Cross Hall at the White House. 'Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success.' The president had announced hours earlier on Truth Social that the U.S. had bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Trump, who was joined by Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his remarks, warned that Saturday's strikes could be the first in a wave of actions against Iran, which has been locked in conflict with Israel for nearly two weeks. Trump delivered his address from the doorway of the East Room, with the grand foyer in the background, the same place former President Obama delivered his address to the nation announcing the killing of Osama Bin Laden. 'This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,' Trump said. 'Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.' DEVELOPING
