Report: Up To 7,000 Service Members Could March In Trump’s Military Parade
- 6 years ago
ABC News is reporting on more details about President Trump's November parade.
A military parade requested by President Trump will likely include thousands of service members and cost millions of dollars.
According to ABC News, an inside U.S. defense source has said, based on planning documents, that 5,000 to 7,000 military personnel could participate in the event which is also slated to have "100 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and 100 horses."
There aren't expected to be any tanks, however, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford prohibiting their inclusion to prevent infrastructure damage.
Nevertheless, estimated costs for the parade, currently scheduled for November 10, are high, with a working figure currently hovering around $12 million, notes CNN.
The number has sparked backlash because it is similar to a $14 million military exercise with South Korea that Trump had canceled, calling it "tremendously expensive."
In fact, he promoted the cost savings following his summit with North Korean president Kim Jong Un by tweeting: "We save a fortune by not doing war games, as long as we are negotiating in good faith - which both sides are!"
Trump's idea for a military parade is said to be largely inspired by one he saw in Paris for Bastille Day last year.
While the event's expense and theme raised concerns at the time, a military spokesperson recently told ABC News that it is intended to "render appropriate ceremonial honors to our Nation's military members, Veterans and their Families."
A military parade requested by President Trump will likely include thousands of service members and cost millions of dollars.
According to ABC News, an inside U.S. defense source has said, based on planning documents, that 5,000 to 7,000 military personnel could participate in the event which is also slated to have "100 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and 100 horses."
There aren't expected to be any tanks, however, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford prohibiting their inclusion to prevent infrastructure damage.
Nevertheless, estimated costs for the parade, currently scheduled for November 10, are high, with a working figure currently hovering around $12 million, notes CNN.
The number has sparked backlash because it is similar to a $14 million military exercise with South Korea that Trump had canceled, calling it "tremendously expensive."
In fact, he promoted the cost savings following his summit with North Korean president Kim Jong Un by tweeting: "We save a fortune by not doing war games, as long as we are negotiating in good faith - which both sides are!"
Trump's idea for a military parade is said to be largely inspired by one he saw in Paris for Bastille Day last year.
While the event's expense and theme raised concerns at the time, a military spokesperson recently told ABC News that it is intended to "render appropriate ceremonial honors to our Nation's military members, Veterans and their Families."