Price tag for Trump’s military festival could reach $45 million & Tanks, soldiers and country singers: Inside the Army’s 250th celebration 15&21MAI25

 

IT will not surprise me if NOT MY pres drumpf / trump and Sec of Defense fascist fotze petie hegspeth piss themselves at some point during this parade. c-i-c bone spurs will just because he will get so excited believing the parade is for his birthday ( we would ALL be better off if his mother would have eaten him right after he was born ).  petie will while fantasizing he is jack merridew of Lord of the Flies and when he finally gets a woody watching all the men he is in charge of he transmorgafies to beelzebub, the biblical demon considered the god of pride and warfare. It is a disgrace that what should be a celebration of and thanksgiving for our Army that has protected and defended our Constitution, our democratic Republic and all residents of America is being hijacked by a psychopathic narcissistic draft dodger and one of his ass licking  sycophants turning it into a self aggrandizing spectacle a la lenin, stalin, hitler, mussolini, castro, mao, kim, idi amin, pol pot, hussein, assad, putin, isis / dash, and boko haram. These from the Washington Post.....

Price tag for Trump’s military festival could reach $45 million

Service members will be housed in the Agriculture Department and General Services Administration buildings for days.

Updated May 15, 2025

By Olivia George

A massive military parade and festivities planned in Washington next month will cost an estimated $25 million to $45 million and will involve dozens of warplanes, hundreds of Army vehicles and thousands of soldiers from across the country sleeping in downtown government office buildings, an Army spokesperson said Thursday.

The parade, to commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, will be held June 14, the same day as President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, and will include representation from all active Army divisions, said Steve Warren, a spokesman for the branch.

The parade’s overlap with Trump’s birthday has stirred ire among some civilians and veterans, especially at a time when his overhaul of the federal government includes slashing the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The response from D.C.’s mayor, however, has been more muted than when Trump proposed a parade during his first term. The president has long mused about soldiers marching and tanks rolling down the streets of the capital and aircraft roaring overhead but backed off the idea in 2018 amid pushback from the Army and D.C. officials over exorbitant costs and the damage tanks might cause to roads.

The spectacle and the tension surrounding it also highlight D.C.’s dual identity as the seat of the U.S. federal government and a deep-blue city that overwhelmingly voted against Trump three times. Protest plans are also underway.

About 3,000 service members will be housed on unused floors of a General Services Administration building and 2,000 in an Agriculture Department building, Warren said. Most participating service members will arrive a couple of days before the parade, he said, and leave June 16.

Vehicles will arrive in the region by rail and be trucked into the city, he said. Participating aircraft will fly in.

Overall, 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft and 6,600 soldiers are expected to take part in the festivities, the Army has announced. There will be a fireworks display and a day-long festival on the National Mall with military demonstrations, musical performances and a fitness competition.

After an initial interview with The Post about the parade’s cost, Warren said the estimate he provided for the parade included other events taking place that day. He said he wasn’t able to provide a cost breakdown of each of the day’s events.

The parade will be part of a week-long celebration marking the anniversary of the Continental Congress’s vote to officially create the Continental Army to defend the colonies from the British. Other events include an Army birthday run at Fort Myer and a new exhibition at the National Museum of the U.S. Army.

Each division is responsible for funding transportation of personnel and equipment to and from the D.C. region.

“They’ll fund it, of course, but I think the important note is that it won’t affect their ability to train or supply themselves,” Warren said. “When units need more money, we give them more money.” Parade plans have been in the works for over a year, he said.

An application submitted earlier this spring called for the parade to begin at the Pentagon’s north parking lot at 6 p.m., cross the Arlington Memorial Bridge into D.C. and continue on Constitution Avenue NW, ending at 15th Street. The application was filed by America250.org, a nonprofit founded to support the federal government’s multiyear celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The Army’s Golden Knights will parachute down to the Ellipse, where there will be a presidential “review stand,” bleachers and a concert stage, the application says.

“The procession will tell the story of the history of the Army, beginning with the Revolutionary War and concluding with the modern-day Army,” Army spokesperson Heather Hagan said earlier.

Meanwhile, demonstrators from across the country also are making plans of their own, intending to protest Trump “and the War Machine” in D.C. that day, according to a permit application filed with the National Park Service last week. Andy Koch, a Minneapolis-based organizer with Freedom Road Socialist Organization helping to plan the protest, said a crowd hopes to rally in Meridian Hill Park in Northwest Washington and then march toward the military parade.

“As an Army veteran myself, I’m proud of the Army’s birthday,” said Naveed Shah, political director of Common Defense, a progressive veteran-led organization, “but this parade seems like it’s all about the president’s ego rather than the troops who sacrifice everything in order to serve our country.”

Seven years ago, when Trump in his first term proposed a parade inspired by one he saw in France, his vision was swiftly met with jeers from local leaders and residents concerned about road damage and costs.

The D.C. Council offered a simple message on social media: “Tanks but No Tanks!” The mayor wrote in a tweet that went viral: “Yup, I’m Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad).”

Since Trump returned to the Oval Office, Bowser has taken a different stance toward the president as she tries to walk a fine line between trying to discourage federal intervention and using priorities shared by her administration, Trump and the GOP-led Congress to benefit the District.

Still, Bowser said last month at an unrelated event that her concerns about military tanks on city roads still apply.

“If military tanks were used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads,” she said. Her office declined to comment further Thursday.

The Army is working with local law enforcement, the National Park Service, the District Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Park Police and D.C. Water, which will assess the roads and bridges, said Hagan, the Army spokesperson.

The last time troops paraded in D.C. was in 1991, when 800,000 people poured into the nation’s capital to honor Gulf War service members and watch a seven-block-long display of military equipment.

By Olivia George

Olivia George is a breaking news reporter on the Local Desk. She joined The Post in 2024 from the Tampa Bay Times. Send her secure tips on Signal at 202-735-1256.

Tanks, soldiers and country singers: Inside the Army’s 250th celebration

Plans for the sweeping festivities honoring the Army’s 250th birthday on June 14 are roaring into focus. But the full cost is unknown, Army officials said.

May 21, 2025 at 5:58 p.m. EDT

By Olivia George

More than two dozen tanks, 34 horses, 50 helicopters and thousands of troops — many in period costume from past wars — will be part of the sweeping military celebration in D.C. next month to honor the Army’s 250th birthday, officials said Wednesday, offering new details on the multimillion-dollar event.

The festivities for June 14 — which is also President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday — will feature country singers Noah Hicks and Scotty Hasting, Army officials said at a news conference about the specifics of an extravaganza that could cost the Army alone an estimated $25 million to $45 million.

Army spokesman Steve Warren said Wednesday that he did not have an estimate for the entire government’s cost.

“That amount of money is dwarfed by 250 years of service and sacrifice that American soldiers have given this country,” Warren said. “This is an opportunity to really strengthen the connection between America and her Army.”

Events are planned across the country and around the globe, officials said. But the occasion is unlikely to engulf a city quite like it will the nation’s capital, where the National Mall will host a day-long festival, fireworks will decorate the sky and thousands of troops traveling to participate will sleep in downtown buildings. Officials estimate 200,000 people — about five times the capacity of Nationals Park — will attend.

Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks, according to America250. Army officials Wednesday said there is no plan for the Army to officially recognize the president’s birthday during the celebration.

The day will culminate with a parade, with troops wearing uniforms representing every U.S. conflict dating back to the Revolutionary War and march about a mile down Constitution Avenue from near the Lincoln Memorial at 23rd Street NW to the Washington Monument at 15th Street NW. For each war, there will be 60 troops in period costume uniforms, followed by 400 troops from that same unit in their regular battle dress.

They will be accompanied by 28 M1 Abrams tanks, 28 Bradley fighting vehicles, 28 Strykers and other military equipment. Thirty-four horses, two mules and a dog also will participate in the parade. (The dog’s name was not available at press time.) More than 50 helicopters will participate in a flyover.

The parade will be followed by a parachute jump by the Army’s Golden Knights, who will land on the Ellipse near the White House and present the American flag to Trump. Then 250 recruits and soldiers will be enlisted and reenlisted by the president.

The celebration’s overlap with Trump’s birthday has stirred ire among some civilians and veterans, especially at a time when his overhaul of the federal government includes slashing the workforce at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

While the Army’s celebration has been in the works for about two years, Warren said, the parade was introduced this year. He said it grew out of discussions with stakeholders across the government.

“This was not a directive that I’m aware of,” Warren said. “I don’t know who gets the credit.”

Trump has long mused about soldiers marching and tanks rolling down the streets of the capital and aircraft roaring overhead. But he backed off the idea in 2018 amid pushback from the Army and D.C. officials over exorbitant costs and the damage tanks might cause to roads.

The Army is finalizing plans to place large metal plates at key points on the route to better protect streets from the movements of tanks set to roll through. The tanks are also being fitted with new rubber track pads.

“We’re not expecting damage,” said Col. Jesse Curry, executive officer to the Army’s Chief of Engineers. “If there is any damage, the Army is responsible.”

When asked whether the District can expect to be reimbursed for other expenses such as trash collection, street closures and city police overtime, the Army officials said they didn’t know.

The celebration marks the anniversary of the Continental Congress’s vote to officially create the Continental Army to defend the colonies from the British. In addition to festivities in D.C., officials said there would be fun runs, family festivals and fitness contests at locations from Japan and Korea to Germany and Poland.

“It’s also national, it’s global and it’s even interstellar,” Warren said, adding that an Army astronaut will dial in from the International Space Station. “That’s how big the party is.”

Approximately 3,000 service members will be housed in downtown D.C. on unused floors of a General Services Administration building and 2,000 in an Agriculture Department building, The Washington Post previously reported. For breakfast and lunch, troops will be offered individual food rations known in Army parlance as MREs — Meal, Ready-to-Eat. They will be offered a hot meal for dinner plus about $69 per day to cover incidentals and alternative food, Army officials said.

Most will arrive in D.C. on June 11 and leave June 15, Army officials said Wednesday, revising previous estimates.

With less than four weeks to go until the event, participating tanks and heavy vehicles are being loaded onto trains in Texas to travel to Maryland. They will then be trucked into a staging area at D.C.’s West Potomac Park. Some lightweight vehicles will stage at the Pentagon and then cross the Arlington Memorial Bridge to integrate with the parade.

Army officials said they are in close communication with the Federal Aviation Administration to coordinate the flyover with activity at nearby Reagan National Airport, just across the Potomac River.

Activities on the Mall will begin Saturday with a 9:30 a.m. fitness competition among service members. Throughout the day, Army equipment and exhibits with interactive displays, including night vision goggles, will be open to the public. A cannon will fire a ceremonial gun salute on the hour. There will be a “Kids Zone” with climbing walls, face painting and cornhole.

The parade will begin at 6 p.m. and last about an hour and a half. Fireworks start at 9:45 p.m. Free tickets for the parade and Mall festivities are available through America250’s event registration portal.

As officials finalize parade plans, protests are being coordinated, too. Demonstrators from across the country intend to protest Trump “and the War Machine” in D.C. that day, according to a permit application filed this month with the National Park Service. Andy Koch, a Minneapolis-based organizer with Freedom Road Socialist Organization helping to plan the protest, said a crowd hopes to rally in Meridian Hill Park in Northwest Washington and then march toward the military parade.

Beyond Washington, hundreds of rallies and demonstrations are planned across the country, spearheaded by Indivisible and a coalition of other progressive groups in a movement they have called “NO KINGS Nationwide Day of Defiance.”

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By Olivia George

Olivia George is a breaking news reporter on the Local Desk. She joined The Post in 2024 from the Tampa Bay Times. Send her secure tips on Signal at 202-735-1256.

For Soldiers at Fort Carson, Food Is Scarce 26NOV24

Soldiers were recently served toast and lima beans for dinner at Fort Carson. (Image provided by Hots & Cots)

 I have never been a fan of the "thank you for your service" campaign directed at members of the U.S. Military, I think it is meant to make the person who says it feel good as well as making the person it is directed to feel good too. I am thankful for the service and sacrifice of the men and women in the U.S. Military, for their protection of our country and the freedom and liberty we all have in our democratic Republic. That is why I have voted in every election since I registered to vote when I  turned 18, many have fought defending our country, so many made the ultimate sacrifice defending our democracy, I know I owe them for my right to vote. I have also e mailed and called presidents as well as my senators and representatives over the years advocating for better leadership, provisioning and care for our active duty service people as well as our veterans. If we really want to thank and care for our veterans we would not need Wounded Warriors Project or AMVETS or any of the organizations that exist to try to provide the services needed but not provided by our government (no matter what party is in power). If we really want to thank and care for our active duty military, to make sure their leadership is dedicated not only to our nation but to the troops they are leading, to make sure they are receiving the physical and mental care they need to thrive and lower the suicide rate, to guarantee for them the provisioning of food and housing they deserve we need to do more than say "thank you for your service".  IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE for the tray of  "food" (see the picture at the top of this post) be presented to anyone as a meal. This picture is proof of dereliction of duty by the officer corps at Ft Carson, if they were doing their job this would have never happened. Please join me in e mailing Pres Biden, your representative, and your senators and tell them this situation at Ft Carson must be addressed and corrected ASAP and a review of provisioning for our active duty military must be completed ASAP. Include the link to this article from Military.com. Do not think sending one e mail will be enough, if you really appreciate the service by the U.S. Military and want to thank active duty, vets and deceased service people be committed to keep contacting your government officials to make sure they are doing right by them. 

For Soldiers at Fort Carson, Food Is Scarce

Military.com

 | By Steve Beynon

Published November 26, 2024 at 4:46pm ET

As Americans gather for Thanksgiving feasts, soldiers at Fort Carson, Colorado, are contending with a far less festive reality -- months of insufficient meals, confusing schedules, and limited food options at the base's dining facilities that have ignited widespread frustration among the rank and file.

Dining facilities -- critical for sustaining the health and readiness of troops -- are reportedly offering fewer options, with some meals falling short of basic nutritional standards. Earlier this month, the issue was exemplified by a meal in which soldiers were served a single piece of toast and a handful of lima beans for dinner, according to one soldier stationed there who shared imagery of the meal. Even getting access to those limited rations can be hard, given confusing dining hall schedules and seemingly random closures that make it difficult for many to access hot meals.

Military.com's interviews with eight soldiers and review of photos from Fort Carson facilities found recurring problems. Food runs out quickly, and portions often fall short of the macronutrient requirements needed to sustain soldiers' demanding physical regimens, likely running afoul of service regulations on feeding requirements for troops. Some soldiers reported and shared photos of food that was undercooked or stored at dangerous temperatures.

"This has been a division-wide issue with the [dining facilities] on workdays and kiosks on the weekend," said one soldier stationed at the base, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press. "The people who deal with it the worst are the soldiers who live in the barracks and don't have a car."

The issue is twofold. Troops reported being served food that was either improperly prepared or unavailable by the time they reached the end of the line. Kiosks, intended to replace dining facilities in some circumstances with grab-and-go options, are frequently empty, particularly during peak times when soldiers finish their shifts.

When kiosk shelves are stocked, they're often filled with chips, sugary snacks and other items that soldiers say fall short of the nutritional standards required to maintain physical fitness as demanded by their jobs. Frustration over food issues has prompted some unit leaders to instruct troops to document the issue, capturing photos of the low-quality food or barren shelves to escalate concerns to higher-level leadership, though it's unclear what official complaints have been filed.

"We recognize that we've had some challenges with consistency in the quality of our soldiers' dining experiences at our warrior restaurants and kiosks," Lt. Col. Joseph Payton, a base spokesperson, said in a statement to Military.com. "We're committed to ensuring our soldiers receive quality and healthy meals and can take full advantage of their meal benefit they are entitled to receive."

Payton added that the issue has been brought to brigade-level leadership, which is investigating methods to boost the quality of food options for soldiers.

Fort Carson has 4,600 meal card holders, mostly junior enlisted soldiers who would normally rely on the dining facilities for meals. In most cases, barracks do not have cooking appliances, and soldiers are generally forbidden to have kitchen tools such as hot plates. Other food options, which soldiers would have to pay for, are mostly less healthy fast food restaurants such as Pizza Hut, Dunkin' Donuts and Arby's.

In 2024, the base served food to 591 soldiers on average each day, according to data provided by the service. That number also includes meals purchased and consumed by non-meal card holding troops -- meaning the raw percentage of junior soldiers living on base who use the dining facilities may be in the single digits some days.

Compounding the frustration is the financial strain hunting for alternative food options can cause for troops. Soldiers contribute an average of $460 per month from their Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), a mandatory deduction that collectively totals approximately $22 million annually at Fort Carson. However, the base's food budget this year was just $5 million. How the remaining funds are allocated remains unclear. A 2022 report from the Government Accountability Office found that the Army does not adequately track how often its food services are used by service members.

Some Army officials have pointed to soldiers using dining facilities less and less in recent years as driving decisions to cut spending. It has produced something of a self-fulfilling prophecy, with less investment in quality food and infrastructure pushing even fewer soldiers to see those food options as viable -- despite automatically paying for that food out of their paychecks.

Soldiers have reported waiting in line for up to 30 minutes at Fort Carson dining facilities, only to be served small portions that fall far short of a full meal. In one instance, a soldier recounted being handed just a small bowl of soup and an apple.

On Hots & Cots, a Yelp-style platform where soldiers review barracks and dining options, complaints about food quality and availability at Fort Carson are significantly higher than at other installations, according to the app's internal data.

However, the issue is not isolated to Fort Carson. Last year, Military.com reported on similar struggles at Fort Cavazos, Texas -- in which junior enlisted soldiers had few options for food as the garrison struggled to juggle a severe shortage of food service workers. Soldiers also frequently report issues with undercooked food or inconsistent dining facility schedules on Reddit and other social media.

Senior officials have often pointed to difficult logistics in mapping out how much food to supply soldiers and getting them quality nutrition. However, it's unclear why those challenges have persisted in the force for years.

"Are we gonna fumble? Yes, but we're learning," Renee Mosher, deputy chief of staff, G4 HQ Army Materiel Command, which oversees logistics for the force, said when asked about food issues at Fort Carson in October at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, D.C.

Related: Army Pumping Millions into Food Kiosks, But They May Soon Be Obsolete