Army spent about $30 million on 250th anniversary parade

The Army spent about $30 million on its 250th anniversary parade last month that coincided with President Donald Trump’s birthday. It falls within the Army’s initial estimated cost of between $25 million and $45 million. The June 14 parade consisted of over 6,600 soldiers, 150 military vehicles and 50 helicopters. The Army installed one-inch-thick steel plates, which cost $3 million, to roads around the National Mall as a precaution to minimize the damage from 60-plus-ton tanks rolling over them. It was originally estimated that the military equipment could have caused about $16 million in damages to city roads. The Washington Post reported that Steve Warren, a senior Army spokesman, said the parade caused “minimal damage.” Spokespeople from D.C.’s Department of Transportation confirmed the reported damage by conducting “visual surveys of city roads.” The total cost covered the festivities and parade, including the cost of transporting tanks to and from Washington and other setup, Warren said. Not included was overtime pay for police officers and expenses for the Department of Homeland Security, Warren said, adding that he didn’t have those numbers. Trump, who had long sought such an event, watched from a special viewing stand south of the White House. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Source