WASHINGTON – Final preparations are underway in the nation’s capital ahead of a massive military parade honoring the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army this weekend.
Crews across Washington D.C. are setting up barriers and staging military vehicles in anticipation of Saturday’s celebration, which will feature a large parade, aircraft flyovers, and a fireworks display.
“This is the scene all around D.C … large barriers being put up, prep work on city streets – all ahead of this massive military parade,” Local 10’s Ross Ketschke said while reporting from the National Mall on Thursday.
The parade is set to include tanks, aircraft and historic military vehicles representing decades of U.S. history.
“I’m excited for the parade. I think it’s an amazing opportunity for the American public to meet its army,” said Col. Kamil Sztalkoper, director of communications for the III Armored Corps.
Organizers say the event has been years in the making, though the parade component only came together in recent months under President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Your U.S. Army soldiers have been on the battlefield since the Revolutionary War, World War I, World War II, (and) the global war on terror,” Sztalkoper said.
To secure the event, federal agents are deploying in large numbers.
“We are deploying thousands of agents, officers, and specialists,” said Matt McCool, a special agent in charge of the effort.
Military officials have also made changes to ensure the heavy equipment doesn’t damage D.C. infrastructure.
“We switched out the track paths, so these track pads — about 2, 2.5 inches thick of hard rubber — they minimize the impact,” Sztalkoper added.
The celebration also falls on Trump’s 79th birthday.
The cost of the event is expected to exceed $45 million, drawing criticism from some Democrats who view the display as more about presidential power than military pride.
“That’s more typical of capitals like Moscow and Beijing and Pyongyang than it is Washington, D.C.,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Md.
Meanwhile, protests over the president’s immigration policies are expanding to more cities. Trump responded with a stern warning.
“For those people who want to protest, they’re going to be met with very big force, and I haven’t even heard about a protest,” he said.
Saturday’s events begin at 9:30 a.m. ET on the National Mall, with the main parade scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and fireworks to follow.
Most of the military hardware remains stored near the Pentagon, just a few miles from the celebration site. Some tanks were transported by train from Texas.
“This is the same area where we see presidential inaugurations every year – so D.C. is certainly no stranger to these big events,” Ketschke said.