DC road closures in place to celebrate Army's 250th year
This story was updated to add new road closure map for Washington, D.C.
Tickets for the parade are limited. The two-hour event, a massive military spectacle and unofficial birthday party, takes place on Constitution Avenue near the National Mall and starts at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Events include Army parachuters jumping from aircraft, landing and giving Trump an American flag for his birthday, Pentagon officials said, according to Axios.
Music performers include country singers Noah Hicks and Scotty Hastings. DJ Nyla Symone will provide music during parade festivities.
Country musical singers: More on who will perform.
Trump expressed a desire for a large military parade during his first administration. That did not happen, but the president is playing a major role in the Army celebration, which now includes the parade, Reuters reported.
Where will the parade start and end?
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The celebration day begins with a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in the morning. Events include "historical U.S. Army personnel reenactors, period-accurate equipment, vehicles, impressive flyovers, and military bands," according to America 250, the organizer.
What's in the Army parade?
For the celebration, the U.S. Army is bringing in:
- 7,500 troops
- 28 M1 Abrams tanks
- 28 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles
- 4 Paladin self-propelled howitzer cannons
- 50 Apache, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters
The vehicles will be transported by train, and the helicopters will be flown in. Vintage warplanes, including a World War II-era B-17 bomber and a P-51 Mustang fighter, are set to fly over the National Mall.
The parade will cross in front of Trump's viewing stand on Constitution Avenue south of the White House.
Trump is expected to preside over the enlistment and reenlistment of soldiers at the end of the parade. The event will end with fireworks at dusk.
Where D.C. road closures will be in place
Road closures and parking restrictions have been introduced in D.C. to make way for the parade. The closures are expected to be lifted by Monday, June 16.
How much will the parade cost?
The latest price tag for the parade is $30 million, a figure that could rise as high as $45 million.
Though the Army is expected to pay for any damage from tanks rolling through the streets of the capital, it's "not expecting damage" to the roads, officials said.
CONTRIBUTING Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Tom Vanden Brook
SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; Reuters; America 250