Latest news with #Bradleys
Sydney Morning Herald
02-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Not like there's a Mitre 10 down the road': The mission to rebuild Kosciuszko's famous huts
For nearly 150 years, heritage huts in the high country of Kosciuszko National Park have saved lives and provided refuge to skiers, hikers and workers when the weather turned bad. In January, hiker Hadi Nazari, 23, survived nearly two weeks in the mountains, helped by two muesli bars he reportedly found in one of the 60 mountain huts. Now, 10 heritage huts destroyed by bushfires in 2019-20 have been rebuilt, with the completion of Round Mountain Hut last month. It was a community effort by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the latest generation of families, like the Bradleys and the O'Briens, who built and used the huts, and the conservation group the Kosciuszko Huts Association. NPWS project officer Megan Bowden said the huts, which date back to the 1870s, had saved many a life in the mountains. 'One minute it can be sunny, the next it can be a whiteout,' she said. 'People will ski and walk to these huts as a visitor destination, but they also provide a good shelter in bad weather.' The huts were also like 'little living museums' of the area's history. Bowden said they represented the many different uses of the land, 'ranging from the early graziers to timber getters, prospectors and the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, and then later those who built them for use for skiing and walking in the area'. Each hut had been built in its own style and from local materials – and rebuilt in that style after the fires, some using timber milled from burnt trees that had fallen nearby. 'So there are river stone huts down at Geehi on the Murray Valley, the log cabins at Pretty Plains and Vickerys Hut, and the split slab hut of Cascade Hut and Oldfields,' she said. After visiting Four Mile Hut, built in 1932, Environment and Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe said it was wonderful that the hut had been brought back to life just metres from its charred remains.
The Age
02-06-2025
- The Age
‘Not like there's a Mitre 10 down the road': The mission to rebuild Kosciuszko's famous huts
For nearly 150 years, heritage huts in the high country of Kosciuszko National Park have saved lives and provided refuge to skiers, hikers and workers when the weather turned bad. In January, hiker Hadi Nazari, 23, survived nearly two weeks in the mountains, helped by two muesli bars he reportedly found in one of the 60 mountain huts. Now, 10 heritage huts destroyed by bushfires in 2019-20 have been rebuilt, with the completion of Round Mountain Hut last month. It was a community effort by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the latest generation of families, like the Bradleys and the O'Briens, who built and used the huts, and the conservation group the Kosciuszko Huts Association. NPWS project officer Megan Bowden said the huts, which date back to the 1870s, had saved many a life in the mountains. 'One minute it can be sunny, the next it can be a whiteout,' she said. 'People will ski and walk to these huts as a visitor destination, but they also provide a good shelter in bad weather.' The huts were also like 'little living museums' of the area's history. Bowden said they represented the many different uses of the land, 'ranging from the early graziers to timber getters, prospectors and the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, and then later those who built them for use for skiing and walking in the area'. Each hut had been built in its own style and from local materials – and rebuilt in that style after the fires, some using timber milled from burnt trees that had fallen nearby. 'So there are river stone huts down at Geehi on the Murray Valley, the log cabins at Pretty Plains and Vickerys Hut, and the split slab hut of Cascade Hut and Oldfields,' she said. After visiting Four Mile Hut, built in 1932, Environment and Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe said it was wonderful that the hut had been brought back to life just metres from its charred remains.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
III Corps loads up for Army's 250th birthday celebration
Fort Cavazos, Tx (FOX 44) – The III Armored Corps is conducting rail loading operations in preparation for the Army's 250th birthday celebration in Washington, D.C. At Fort Cavazos' railyard, M1 Abrams, Paladins, Bradleys, and Strykers from the 1st Cavalry Division received a fresh coat of paint, underwent validation, and were carefully loaded and secured onto railcars for transport to the nation's capital. The Army is celebrating its 250th birthday on June 14 with multiple events. The national level celebration will include a day-long festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., a parade and a spectacular fireworks display. The festival will feature displays of Army equipment, military demonstrations, activities for kids, musical performances and a fitness competition. Parade planning is actively underway, and planners anticipate approximately 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and 6,600 Soldiers to highlight the Army's 250 years of service to the nation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
US President Donald Trump's 79th birthday bash: Everything you need to know about the extravagant celebrations
Credit: Instagram/@realdonaldtrump President Donald Trump is finally getting the grand military spectacle he's long desired—and it's landing on his 79th birthday. On June 14, the U.S. Army will mark its 250th anniversary with a full-throttle celebration in Washington, D.C. , a plan that just so happens to double as a birthday bash for the commander-in-chief. Here's a breakdown of everything we know about what promises to be one of the most headline-grabbing events of 2025— Where and when is the party? Festivities are planned throughout the first week of June, but the main event falls on June 14—also Flag Day and Trump's birthday. According to a planning document obtained by Reuters, the day begins with a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, followed by a fitness competition and an Army birthday festival on the National Mall, featuring military demonstrations and equipment displays. Credit: Instagram/@realdonaldtrump By evening, the streets of D.C. will fill with marching troops, tanks, and helicopters for a massive parade, ending with an enlistment and re-enlistment ceremony presided over by Trump himself, followed by a fireworks show. The military muscle It's set to be a military lover's dream. Per Army planning documents dated April 29 and 30, the parade will feature: 6,600 soldiers 150 vehicles, including M1 Abrams tanks, Strykers, Bradleys, Howitzers, and Paladin artillery 50 aircraft Historic military reenactors from every major U.S. conflict, from the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terror The heavier vehicles—like tanks—will avoid crossing bridges into the city. Instead, they'll join the parade near the Lincoln Memorial, according to the Associated Press. Army spokesman Steve Warren told the Washington Post that the vehicles would arrive in the region by train and be trucked into the city. Credit: Instagram/@realdonaldtrump What's it costing taxpayers? The price tag? Between $25 million and $45 million, according to Reuters. That figure covers the military logistics, but not the cost to D.C. for road repairs, crowd control, or cleanup. One official noted the parade alone added 'several million dollars' more to the Army's budget. Trump, for his part, dismissed cost concerns in a May 4 interview with NBC News, saying: 'Peanuts compared to the value of doing it... We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we're going to celebrate it.' A birthday… coincidence? The White House insists the date is no vanity project. 'My birthday happens to be on Flag Day,' Trump told NBC News. 'I view it for Flag Day, not necessarily my birthday. Somebody put it together.' Music, food & fireworks According to a May 9 National Park Service application obtained by Axios, the event will also feature: A concert on the Ellipse with 5-7 musical acts, likely country performers Food and drink stalls, restroom facilities, and shaded seating A parachute jump by the Golden Knights A fireworks show at 9:45 p.m. Why is this parade so controversial? Critics have long called Trump's parade obsession a show of 'authoritarian' symbolism. His initial attempt in 2018 was scrapped after the Pentagon estimated it would cost $92 million, with D.C. officials balking at the idea of tanks on city roads. As the Washington Post reported, Trump was obsessed with military parades after watching France's Bastille Day celebration in 2017: 'He eagerly leaned forward as he took in the spectacle… jumping to his feet and applauding with an enthusiasm that exceeded the response of those around him.' Despite claiming to cancel the 2018 parade due to cost, Trump tweeted: 'The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it... They wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up!'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Report: Army drafts plan for parade with 6,600 troops on Trump's birthday
Detailed Army planning documents obtained by the Associated Press show just how far along discussions have come for a potential military parade on June 14 — a date that marks both the Army's 250th birthday and former President Donald Trump's 79th. The plans call for a full-scale display of military power on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., featuring more than 6,600 troops, 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven Army bands, and fireworks. The proposed parade — still pending final White House approval — would be the first of its kind in the U.S. in decades. If it happens, it would be the realization of a spectacle Trump has long wanted: a show of American military might on his birthday. But it also carries high logistical hurdles and an unclear price tag — though similar proposals in 2018 were scrapped over cost estimates nearing $92 million. By the numbers According to the April 29–30 planning documents, the Army is preparing for: 6,600+ soldiers involved 150 military vehicles, including tanks, Bradleys, Strykers, and Paladins 50 helicopters Seven Army bands A Golden Knights parachute jump A fireworks finale Participation from 11 corps and divisions across the country Officials also anticipate up to 2,000 civilian participants, including military colleges, reenactor groups, veterans organizations, and historic vehicles. Roughly 6,300 of the soldiers would be marching, while the rest would support logistics and operations. Some of the equipment was already part of the Army's birthday festival — but the proposed parade would significantly scale up the event. The backstory The original Army birthday event, long in the works, was intended as a public celebration of the institution's 250-year legacy. But as plans evolved this spring, a new component entered the discussion: a military parade timed to Trump's birthday. White House approval is still pending, but Trump has long expressed interest in holding a massive military parade in Washington. After witnessing France's Bastille Day parade in 2017, he said he wanted one "even grander" down Pennsylvania Avenue. That idea was ultimately abandoned in 2018, with Trump blaming high costs and "local politicians" in D.C. for blocking it. The new parade plans echo that original vision, complete with armored vehicles and flyovers — features that D.C. officials previously rejected over fears of street damage. The other side D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in April that federal officials had contacted her office about a parade stretching from Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River into downtown Washington. Though she stopped short of calling it a "military parade," she warned, "Tanks rolling through the city's streets would not be good," adding, "If military tanks were used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads." An earlier Pentagon memo from 2018 backed that concern, recommending only wheeled vehicles and no tanks to avoid tearing up infrastructure. The planning documents reviewed by the AP also reveal a number of unknowns. The largest is which Army units would be selected to participate, and where exactly those troops would be housed. Some equipment would need to be flown or transported by train into the region. The event would likely be designated a National Special Security Event, placing it under the jurisdiction of the Secret Service and involving high levels of federal coordination. That request is currently under review. Big picture view The parade — if it moves forward — would represent the largest public military display in Washington in decades. It also comes during Trump's second term, with his administration pushing to reshape federal agencies, including efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. While the Army has emphasized that the event is a birthday celebration for the service, the political symbolism of aligning it with Trump's birthday is hard to ignore. Army spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said the Army wants the public to "celebrate with us," adding, "We want Americans to know their Army and their soldiers. A parade might become part of that." What's next Final approval for the parade is still pending. As of May 1, the Army and White House have not announced a decision. If greenlit, the parade would occur the evening of Friday, June 14 — featuring a concert and fireworks to follow. The Source This report is based on internal Army planning documents dated April 29–30 and obtained by the Associated Press. Additional quotes and context come from AP reporting by Lolita C. Baldor and prior coverage from FOX 5 DC. Official statements from the Army and D.C. government are also included. The Source This report is based on internal Army planning documents dated April 29–30 and obtained by the Associated Press. Additional quotes and context come from AP reporting by Lolita C. Baldor and prior coverage from FOX 5 DC. Official statements from the Army and D.C. government are also included. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
