The Pentagon has begun preparing for President Trump’s requested military parade in Washington, D.C., but preliminary plans suggest it won’t involve any tanks like the Bastille Day celebration that inspired it.
“The purpose of this memorandum is to provide initial guidance for the planning and execution of a military-themed Veteran’s Day Parade in Washington, D.C. on November 11, 2018,” the office of Defense Secretary James Mattis wrote in a memo published Friday.
“This parade will focus on the contributions of our veterans throughout the history of the U.S. Military, starting from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 to today, with an emphasis on the price of freedom,” the memo said.
The event should include a “heavy air component,” the memo continued, but tanks won’t be permitted because of their potential to wreck city streets.
“Include wheeled vehicles only, no tanks - consideration must be given to minimize damage to local infrastructure,” the memo said.
Mr. Trump reportedly requested a military parade after witnessing last year’s Bastille Day celebration in France, and the defense secretary acknowledged last month that the Pentagon had been “putting together some options.”
Critics were quick to call the parade into question, however, raising concerns over factors including financial costs and its potential affect on D.C. streets and operations.
Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director, has estimated that parade could cost as much as $30 million.
“We’ll see if we can do it at a reasonable cost, and if we can’t, we won’t do it, but the generals would love to do it, I can tell you, and so would I,” Mr. Trump said last month.
The White House did not immediately comment on the Pentagon’s guidance.
The event will integrate with D.C.’s annual Veterans Day Parade and run from the White House to the Capitol, where the president will observe from a viewing area surrounded by veterans and Medal of Honor recipients, according to the memo.
The parade is expected to include participants dressed in period uniforms and will also “highlight the evolution of women veterans,” the memo said, “from separate formations in World War II to today’s integrated formations.”
The last time Pennsylvania Avenue hosted a full-fledged military parade was after the Gulf War ended in 1991.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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