The upcoming U.S. Army 250th anniversary festival is projected to cost between $25 million and $45 million, according to Heather J. Hagan, U.S. Army Public Affairs spokeswoman. The celebration will take place on June 14 to mark the Army鈥檚 250th birthday. The date also coincides with Flag Day and President Donald Trump鈥檚 79th birthday. The festivity will feature a parade along a portion of the National Mall, beginning at 23rd Street and ending at 15th Street, covering approximately 0.89 miles. This means the average cost per 0.1 mile of the parade route ranges from $2.7 million to $5 million, according to a Hearst Television Data Team analysis.The chart below shows the official parade route according to the Army.The parade is expected to feature 150 military vehicles, 6,600 soldiers and 50 aircraft.About half of the military vehicles will come from Fort Cavazos, Texas, including all of the heaviest tank units, such as the M1A2 Abrams tanks.Each Abrams tank weighs around 70 tons, or about 140,000 pounds. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser has expressed concerns about potential road damage from the tanks.The Army has promised to cover the cost of any needed repairs.The Hearst Television Data Team reached out to the Army to determine if the estimated $45 million cost includes any potential costs for road repairs.The Army did not respond by the time of publication. However, Hagan said the Army anticipates minimal damage to the roads and will take precautionary measures, such as placing one-inch-thick steel plates on the roads and attaching new rubber pads to the tanks.The steel plates will be placed in 13 locations along the route where the military vehicles will need to turn. The 50 aircraft will participate in a flyover, taking off from Joint Base Andrews and flying in formation.Reagan National Airport is expected to close on June 14 for up to four hours to accommodate the flyovers, parachute jumps and fireworks.The exact timing of the closures is still unknown.During his first term, President Trump proposed holding a large-scale military parade in Washington, D.C., to celebrate Veterans Day. The envisioned event was planned to showcase troops, fighter jets, armored vehicles and other military hardware. However, the parade was ultimately canceled in 2018 after costs soared as high as $92 million. The last military parade in Washington, D.C., took place in 1991, following the victory of Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War. PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
WASHINGTON — The upcoming U.S. Army 250th anniversary festival is projected to cost between $25 million and $45 million, according to Heather J. Hagan, U.S. Army Public Affairs spokeswoman.
The celebration will take place on June 14 to mark the Army鈥檚 250th birthday. The date also coincides with Flag Day and President Donald Trump鈥檚 79th birthday.
The festivity will feature a along a portion of the National Mall, beginning at 23rd Street and ending at 15th Street, covering approximately 0.89 miles. This means the average cost per 0.1 mile of the parade route ranges from $2.7 million to $5 million, according to a Hearst Television Data Team analysis.
The chart below shows the official parade route according to the Army.
The parade is expected to feature 150 military vehicles, 6,600 soldiers and 50 aircraft.
About half of the military vehicles will come from including all of the heaviest tank units, such as the M1A2 Abrams tanks.
Each Abrams tank weighs around 70 tons, or about 140,000 pounds. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser has expressed concerns about potential road damage from the tanks.
The Army has promised to cover the cost of any needed repairs.
The Hearst Television Data Team reached out to the Army to determine if the estimated $45 million cost includes any potential costs for road repairs.
The Army did not respond by the time of publication. However, Hagan said the Army anticipates minimal damage to the roads and will take precautionary measures, such as placing one-inch-thick steel plates on the roads and attaching new rubber pads to the tanks.
The steel plates will be placed in along the route where the military vehicles will need to turn.
The 50 aircraft will participate in a flyover, taking off from Joint Base Andrews and flying in formation.
Reagan National Airport is expected to close on June 14 for up to four hours to accommodate the flyovers, parachute jumps and fireworks.
The exact timing of the closures is still unknown.
During his first term, President Trump proposed holding a large-scale military parade in Washington, D.C., to celebrate Veterans Day. The envisioned event was planned to showcase troops, fighter jets, armored vehicles and other military hardware.
However, the parade was ultimately canceled in 2018 after costs soared as high as $92 million.
The last military parade in Washington, D.C., took place in 1991, following the victory of Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War.
