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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's birthday military parade could cause $16 million of damage to DC's streets
Donald Trump's birthday military parade could cause as much as $16 million worth of damage to the streets of Washington, D.C., officials estimate. The June 14 parade, which will celebrate the Army's 250th anniversary, is being held on the president's own 79th birthday and will cost around $45 million. That price tag includes the estimated damage. Trump himself has called the cost of the parade 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.' Organizers say that the parade will consist of around 130 vehicles, including 28 M1A1 tanks, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 28 Stryker armored fighting vehicles and artillery launchers being towed. A flyover of the U.S. capital will be undertaken by more than 50 helicopters, while 7,000 soldiers will march in the streets. There will also be at least eight bands, three dozen horses and two mules. The Army has said that it will cover all repair costs to the District's streets, which it estimates will be $16 million, according to NBC News. It has already said that it would place thick metal plates as long as 20ft down where tanks will turn on the parade route, at a cost of $3 million. Earlier this week, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was 'concerned' about the scope of damage that the tanks and armored vehicles could cause. "These are, for the most part, local streets, and if they're rendered in unusable, we have to make them usable,' she said. "Probably we would fix it and then go seek our money from the Fed," she said. "That gives me some concern about fronting costs and waiting for them to get back." Trump told NBC News' Meet the Press earlier this month that the 90-minute parade would be well worth its eye-watering cost. '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,' Trump insisted.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's birthday military parade could cause $16 million of damage to DC's streets
Donald Trump's birthday military parade could cause as much as $16 million worth of damage to the streets of Washington, D.C., officials estimate. The June 14 parade, which will celebrate the Army's 250th anniversary, is being held on the president's own 79th birthday and will cost around $45 million. That price tag includes the estimated damage. Trump himself has called the cost of the parade 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.' Organizers say that the parade will consist of around 130 vehicles, including 28 M1A1 tanks, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 28 Stryker armored fighting vehicles and artillery launchers being towed. A flyover of the U.S. capital will be undertaken by more than 50 helicopters, while 7,000 soldiers will march in the streets. There will also be at least eight bands, three dozen horses and two mules. The Army has said that it will cover all repair costs to the District's streets, which it estimates will be $16 million, according to NBC News. It has already said that it would place thick metal plates as long as 20ft down where tanks will turn on the parade route, at a cost of $3 million. Earlier this week, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was 'concerned' about the scope of damage that the tanks and armored vehicles could cause. "These are, for the most part, local streets, and if they're rendered in unusable, we have to make them usable,' she said. "Probably we would fix it and then go seek our money from the Fed," she said. "That gives me some concern about fronting costs and waiting for them to get back." Trump told NBC News' Meet the Press earlier this month that the 90-minute parade would be well worth its eye-watering cost. '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,' Trump insisted.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Army estimates that Trump's military parade could cost $16 million in damage to Washington streets
The cost to repair Washington, D.C., streets after the upcoming military parade celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary could cost as much as $16 million, according to U.S. military officials. That's part of an estimated $45 million total cost for the June 14 military parade, which coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. The cost estimates have fluctuated as planning continues. In an interview with NBC News' 'Meet the Press' earlier this month, the president defended the cost of the parade, calling it '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,' Trump added. The parade will be part of a massive celebration in downtown Washington that includes a number of events, historical displays and a demonstration by the Army's famous parachute team, the Golden Knights. The parade itself will include about 130 vehicles, including 28 M1A1 tanks, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 28 Stryker armored fighting vehicles and a number of vehicles towing artillery launchers. More than 50 helicopters will also participate in an 'extensive flyover' in the nation's capital. The event will also bring more than 9,000 soldiers from around the country to Washington, about 7,000 of whom will march in the parade itself. The event will also include at least eight Army bands, and some troops will ride on the nearly three dozen horses and two mules expected to march as part of a historical section of the parade. The soldiers visiting Washington for the parade will be housed in government buildings, including the Department of Agriculture building and a General Services Administration building. A few thousand others will bunk at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The troops are expected to eat military rations called meals ready to eat, or MREs, during their stay. Trump had long wanted a military parade during his first term. But it was canceled over concerns about cost and the optics of a military parade in the nation's capital that could be seen as akin to the kind commonly seen in Moscow, Beijing or Pyongyang, North Korea. The inclusion of tanks in a potential parade also drew concerns about what their tracks might do to the streets of Washington. The Army is preparing for the potential harm to Washington streets with several measures it hopes will avert damage. These include using 1-inch-thick steel plates, some as long as 20 feet, at places along the parade route where the tanks must turn and where those turns could cause the most damage to the streets. The addition of the steel plates is expected to cost the Army about $3 million, officials said. The tanks are also being outfitted with new track pads to create separation between the metal track and the ground, the officials said. Army officials said they believe these measures will keep the damage to a minimum and bring the cost of repairing any damage down significantly. 'We are targeting those areas that we have concerns, which primarily are areas where the tracked vehicles are going to have to turn sharply,' said Col. Jesse Curry, the executive officer for the Army Corps of Engineers. 'We are not particularly concerned that this staging area and the routes have been selected to really minimize the risk from weight and damage. But really, those areas where tanks have to turn, particularly the areas where the surface of the pavement, we typically receive an exaggerated level of stress.' The parade route itself will follow Constitution Avenue along the National Mall from 23rd Street to around 15th Street. The roughly 50 aircraft will include Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters, including several special operations variants. Also planned to fly are several historic aircraft, including World War II-era B-25s, P-51s and Vietnam-era helicopters. The parade is expected to last roughly 90 minutes and will be broken into eras: the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Global War on Terror, the modern Army and the future. The Army's Golden Knights will jump during the presentation about the Army's future and plan to deliver an American flag to Trump. In the early-May 'Meet the Press' interview, Trump defended himself against claims that the military parade was for his birthday, reiterating that the Army's 250th birthday and Flag Day are also on June 14. 'My birthday happens to be on Flag Day,' he said. 'I view it for Flag Day, not necessarily my birthday. Somebody put it together. But no, I think we're going to do something on June 14, maybe, or somewhere around there. But I think June 14. It's a very important day.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Army says Trump's military parade could cause $16 million in damage to Washington streets
The cost to repair Washington, D.C., streets after the upcoming military parade celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary could cost as much as $16 million, according to U.S. military officials. That's part of an estimated $45 million total cost for the June 14 military parade, which coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. The cost estimates have fluctuated as planning continues. In an interview with NBC News' 'Meet the Press' earlier this month, the president defended the cost of the parade, calling it '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,' Trump added. The parade will be part of a massive celebration in downtown Washington that includes a number of events, historical displays and a demonstration by the Army's famous parachute team, the Golden Knights. The parade itself will include about 130 vehicles, including 28 M1A1 tanks, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 28 Stryker armored fighting vehicles and a number of vehicles towing artillery launchers. More than 50 helicopters will also participate in an 'extensive flyover' in the nation's capital. The event will also bring more than 9,000 soldiers from around the country to Washington, about 7,000 of whom will march in the parade itself. The event will also include at least eight Army bands, and some troops will ride on the nearly three dozen horses and two mules expected to march as part of a historical section of the parade. The soldiers visiting Washington for the parade will be housed in government buildings, including the Department of Agriculture building and a General Services Administration building. A few thousand others will bunk at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The troops are expected to eat military rations called meals ready to eat, or MREs, during their stay. Trump had long wanted a military parade during his first term. But it was canceled over concerns about cost and the optics of a military parade in the nation's capital that could be seen as akin to the kind commonly seen in Moscow, Beijing or Pyongyang, North Korea. The inclusion of tanks in a potential parade also drew concerns about what their tracks might do to the streets of Washington. The Army is preparing for the potential harm to Washington streets with several measures it hopes will avert damage. These include using 1-inch-thick steel plates, some as long as 20 feet, at places along the parade route where the tanks must turn and where those turns could cause the most damage to the streets. The addition of the steel plates is expected to cost the Army about $3 million, officials said. The tanks are also being outfitted with new track pads to create separation between the metal track and the ground, the officials said. Army officials said they believe these measures will keep the damage to a minimum and bring the cost of repairing any damage down significantly. 'We are targeting those areas that we have concerns, which primarily are areas where the tracked vehicles are going to have to turn sharply,' said Col. Jesse Curry, the executive officer for the Army Corps of Engineers. 'We are not particularly concerned that this staging area and the routes have been selected to really minimize the risk from weight and damage. But really, those areas where tanks have to turn, particularly the areas where the surface of the pavement, we typically receive an exaggerated level of stress.' The parade route itself will follow Constitution Avenue along the National Mall from 23rd Street to around 15th Street. The roughly 50 aircraft will include Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters, including several special operations variants. Also planned to fly are several historic aircraft, including World War II-era B-25s, P-51s and Vietnam-era helicopters. The parade is expected to last roughly 90 minutes and will be broken into eras: the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Global War on Terror, the modern Army and the future. The Army's Golden Knights will jump during the presentation about the Army's future and plan to deliver an American flag to Trump. In the early-May 'Meet the Press' interview, Trump defended himself against claims that the military parade was for his birthday, reiterating that the Army's 250th birthday and Flag Day are also on June 14. 'My birthday happens to be on Flag Day,' he said. 'I view it for Flag Day, not necessarily my birthday. Somebody put it together. But no, I think we're going to do something on June 14, maybe, or somewhere around there. But I think June 14. It's a very important day.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
How the US Army plans to keep its massive 70-ton Abrams tanks from tearing up DC roads
Nearly 30 M1A1 Abrams tanks will roll down Constitution Ave. in DC for the Army's 250th birthday. The service is finalizing plans to prevent the heavy 70-ton tanks from damaging the road. Engineers will use steel plates and track pads to protect roads during the parade. The powerful M1A1 Abrams tank, with its heavy armor and 120mm cannon, is a massive hulk of steel, and dozens are set to hit the streets in the nation's capital next month. Nearly 30 of the tanks are expected to rumble down Constitution Avenue as part of the US Army's 250th anniversary celebration on June 14, set to coincide with President Donald Trump's birthday. The street, which runs parallel to the National Mall and serves as a major route for city traffic, isn't built to easily accommodate each tank's nearly 70-ton frame. Most cars weigh only about two tons. So how is the Army going to keep its tanks from chewing up Constitution Avenue? The service's engineers are putting the finishing touches on plans to protect the busy street's pavement from biting tracks. Officials aren't too concerned with the straight path down Constitution, which will likely see a single file of tanks. It's turning points that will be the most vulnerable to tears from the heavy tracked vehicles. "We are targeting those areas that we have concerns," said Army Col. Jesse Curry, Executive Officer for the Army's Chief of Engineers, during a media roundtable with reporters on Wednesday. "Particularly the areas where the surface of the pavement would typically, you know, receive an exaggerated level of stress." To prevent such stress, military engineers are figuring out which turn points will be layered with steel plates at least one inch thick. Such large plates are commonly seen on city streets where heavy equipment is used, Curry said, adding that equipment staging areas and the parade route were specially chosen to minimize weight-related damage. Heavy tracked vehicles like the M1A1 often make turns by using differential steering — one side will roll forward while the other reverses, or the tracks will operate at a different speed. That can cause tracks to "pinch," a problem for asphalt. Inbound parade tanks will also don new "track pads," rubber components that create some separation between the metal tracks and the pavement, Curry told reporters. Additional measures to prevent damage are still being examined, with help from DC's Department of Transportation, the National Park Service (which oversees maintenance of the National Mall), and the Federal Highway Administration. The tanks and other vehicles, such as Bradley fighting vehicles and Strykers, will arrive in the DC area via rail and will then depart to parade staging areas via heavy-duty trailers, similar to those used to move houses down highways. Troops will not be conducting any full-scale rehearsals for the parade, a notable deviation from typical military planning. Normally, complete rehearsals are an important part of any military mission, including small unit ceremonies. Officials said Wednesday that while the Army has been planning a major 250th birthday event for two years, the idea to include heavy vehicles like tanks and other armored vehicles in a parade only arrived this year. The officials did not specify how the idea originated. Even moving at a slow parade pace, any military activity using heavy equipment and vehicles is fraught with concerns that require meticulous planning for safety precautions, especially when it comes to the equipment offloads required to stage for such a parade. Large vehicles must rely on ground guides to ensure no one is inadvertently run over. Officials said Wednesday that Hercules wreckers will be available to recover any tanks that break down. How roads might handle the behemoth 70-ton M88 Hercules recovery vehicle with a downed tank on its trailer bed is unclear. Read the original article on Business Insider
