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A memo released last week by the Pentagon announced that there will be a military parade taking place this coming Veteran’s Day, on November 11, 2018. The parade was requested by President Donald Trump but will not put on display some of the largest military hardware which the president had hoped to see.
The parade will include soldiers from the different defense branches and will focus on the expanding role of women serving. US air power will also be highlighted with examples of modern and historic war planes included in the ceremony. Many veterans’ groups will join, including the ceremonial Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps.
To protect “local infrastructure” the parade will not have tanks rolling down the road between the White House and the Capital.
“This parade will focus on the contributions of our veterans throughout the history of the U.S. military, starting from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 to today, with an emphasis on the price of freedom,” added the office of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in a guidance to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Trump was inspired to have a military parade in the US after he enjoyed the Bastille Day celebration on his recent visit to France. Trump’s idea was first met with skepticism by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. Congressmen and senators from both parties were upset that such a display of force feels and looks like the behavior of authoritarian regimes.
White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney estimates the cost of the parade could reach $30 million.
