US army defends military parade on Trump’s birthday
US army leaders have defended the exorbitant bill for a Washington parade to mark a major milestone for the force.
The June 14 parade through Washington DC, which will feature thousands of soldiers in period costumes as well as historic tanks and warplanes, is expected to cost up to $US45 million ($AU69 million).
June 14 is also US President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. He has long wanted a military parade in Washington DC, after seeing one in France on Bastille Day during his first presidential term.
Army bosses insist the simultaneous dates are a coincidence and that the parade is justified to honour soldiers’ sacrifice.
They have long planned a festival on the National Mall to celebrate the army’s 250th birthday. However, planning for the parade began in earnest only about a month ago.
It will reportedly feature Abrams tanks, World War II warplanes and up to 6600 soldiers. The event will conclude with a parachute demonstration and a fireworks display.
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A reviewing stand is being erected for Trump near the White House.
“This year’s birthday theme, ‘this we’ll defend’, was first used as a battle cry by the Continental Army. Today, it reminds us that our army’s purpose is clear: to fight and win the nation’s wars,” the US Army Public Affairs said last month.
“We remain committed to honing our warfighting skills, enforcing standards and discipline, and living the values that have defined our army for the past 250 years.”
In May, Trump told NBC the cost of the parade was: “peanuts compared to the value of doing it”.
“We’re going to have a big, beautiful parade,” he said.
Army leaders argue the elaborate event will help boost recruitment. Members of the US Congress, however, say the money could be better spent elsewhere.
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“It is Donald Trump who is the focus of his own attention, and the army birthday just happened to be a convenient excuse,” Democrat senator Richard Blumenthal said.
“I’m all in favour of celebrating the anniversaries of our services in a more appropriate way, but without the extravagant expenditure of funds that are vital to our military.”
The bill for the lavish celebration comes as the Trump administration slashes funding for personnel and programs, including at the Defence Department.
US Democrat Salud Carbajal has questioned whether the cost of the parade was appropriate, with military services facing eight per cent budget cuts. The money might be better spent improving troops’ quality of life or warfighting capabilities, he said.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee also said they were concerned that Defence was shifting about $US1 billion from a variety of accounts – including base housing – to cover the costs of shoring up the defence of the southern border.
Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said the parade offered a chance to tell Americans about the army.
“I believe very specifically that telling that story will directly lead to a recruiting boom and will fill up our pipeline for the coming years,” he said.
Driscoll and army chief of staff General Randy George told lawmakers the service had met its recruiting goal for the year, with 61,000 recruits. Army officials have predicted for months that they would hit the target early.
That prompted congress member Wesley Bell, to ask why the parade was needed for recruiting if it was already surging.
