The U.S. Army is preparing for a massive military parade on June 14, Donald Trump’s 79th birthday—and it could be one of the biggest, and more expensive, shows of force in recent U.S. history.
According to planning documents obtained by the Associated Press, the parade would involve more than 6,600 soldiers, over 150 military vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven Army bands, and thousands of civilians. Internal Army slides, dated April 29 and 30, lay out detailed plans for the event, which would take place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The parade is being tied to the Army’s 250th anniversary, but the timing is no coincidence—it lands squarely on Trump’s birthday. Trump has long pushed for a grand military parade ever since witnessing one in France in 2017. His original plan, however, was dropped due to its $92 million price tag and concerns that army tanks would tear up D.C. streets.
Now, the idea is back.
“No final decisions have been made,” said Army spokesperson Steve Warren, when asked if the parade was officially approved. But another spokesman, Col. Dave Butler, said the Army is fully on board with a major public celebration.
“We want to make it into an event that the entire nation can celebrate with us,” he said. “A parade might become part of that, and we think that will be an excellent addition to what we already have planned.”
The current plans call for marching soldiers, armored Stryker vehicles, tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, Paladin artillery, and a Golden Knights parachute jump. Units from at least 11 different Army corps and divisions would take part.
About 6,300 troops would march, with the rest handling logistics. Civilians, veterans’ groups, historical reenactors, and military college representatives are also expected to participate.
While the slides don’t include a cost estimate, the scale of the parade would likely require tens of millions of dollars—from transporting heavy equipment to housing and feeding thousands of troops.
The parade could give Trump the kind of spectacle he’s wanted since his time in office.
In a Truth Social post Thursday night, Trump didn’t mention the parade directly but wrote:
“We are going to start celebrating our victories again!”
He also pledged to rename May 8 as “Victory Day for World War II” and November 11 as “Victory Day for World War I.”
