On Saturday, Washington, D.C. will host a parade to mark the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. It also coincides with the Flag Day holiday and with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday.
The parade has been a priority for President Trump, who said on Thursday "I don't think we've ever seen the likes of what you're going to see."
The 90-minute parade will feature more than 6,000 soldiers, many of them in period uniforms commemorating the Army's involvement in conflicts from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and World War II through to the present.
There will be more than 100 Army vehicles, including tanks, artillery and personnel carriers. Dozens of military aircraft, including historical fixed-wing prop fighters and helicopters, will conduct flyovers.
A band from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point will lead a group of enlistees still in training. A group of re-enlisting soldiers will also be sworn in by the president.
The parade has required metal shielding on D.C. streets to protect from the wear and tear of heavy ground vehicles. 18 miles of security fencing and checkpoints will manage an expected crowd of some 200,000 spectators.
There is rain and potential thunderstorms in the forecast for Saturday in D.C., with a 60% chance of precipitation through the afternoon.
The parade is expected to cost as much as $45 million, according to Army estimates and records reviewed by Scripps News. That price tag does not include expenses the city of Washington will likely have to cover itself.
The Army's figure accounts for the price of transporting 150 vehicles into the city, including 28 tanks and 50 aircraft for multiple military flyovers. The Army is also sending more than 6,000 soldiers from every division to participate in the day's activities.
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On Wednesday, over three-quarters of the Senate Republican Conference told Scripps News they would not attend the parade.
Scripps News reached out to all 53 Republican senators. 41 said they did not plan to be in town for the event. Nine others have declined to comment, while at least two more say they are still undecided.
So far only one Republican senator, Sen. Roger Marshall from Kansas, has confirmed that he will attend.
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Simultaneously, more than a thousand peaceful protests are expected across the country as the "No Kings" movement organizes marches "to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like."
No Kings says it is intentionally eschewing events in D.C. on the same day "to draw a clear contrast between our people-powered movement and the costly, wasteful, and un-American birthday parade in Washington."
President Trump has warned protesters at the parade "will be met with very big force."
"I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country, but they will be met with very heavy force," the president said.
Tune in to Scripps News starting at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday to watch live coverage and analysis of the parade.
