The United States will stage a military parade on June 14 to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US Army, the White House has said, with the event also falling on President Donald Trump's 79th birthday.
Trump "will honor American Veterans, active-duty servicemembers, and military history with a military parade!" White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly wrote on X.
Kelly included a link to a Fox News article that said the parade will include US troops, students from the country's military academies, and reenactors and equipment from past conflicts ranging from the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terror.
The plan to hold a display of American military strength in the streets of the nation's capital was reported by the Washington City Paper last month, which said the parade could stretch six kilometers from the Pentagon to the White House.
Trump had floated the idea of holding a military parade in Washington during his first term after attending a Bastille Day parade in France.
It never materialised, however, after the Pentagon said it could cost $92 million and concerns were raised that tanks and other heavy military vehicles would damage the city's streets.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser raised similar concerns last month when asked by reporters about plans for a parade.
"Military tanks on our streets would not be good," Bowser said. "If military tanks were used they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads."
The military is currently working on plans that could see more than 6,500 troops, about 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft moving to Washington, DC, according to officials and documents.
Power and pageantry
US military service branches take pride in their history and anniversary celebrations, called birthdays in military circles, take place across the United States and on bases throughout the world.
According to a planning document seen by Reuters on Friday, there would be a week of celebrations by the Army, culminating in the parade on June 14th.
A US official said the most recent planning includes several thousand additional troops and dozens of military vehicles, which would not have been needed if there was no parade.
The official said it was still in the planning phase and could change, adding that it was unclear if the parade was a request from the White House or something the Army had started to consider on its own.
The official added that the plan had not yet been approved by the White House or senior Pentagon leaders.
Trump has made no secret of his desire to hold military parades in the past.
Military parades in the United States are generally rare.
Such parades in other countries are usually staged to celebrate victories in battle or showcase military might.
On Thursday, Trump hinted at celebrating the military, though he did not mention June 14.
"Many of our allies and friends are celebrating May 8th as Victory Day, but we did more than any other Country, by far, in producing a victorious result on World War II," Trump said on Truth Social.
"We are going to start celebrating our victories again!"
