Armored tanks, combat aircraft and soldiers dressed in historical garb will be showcased Saturday in front of throngs of people for the Army’s 250th anniversary celebration in the nation’s capital.
The Secret Service said it anticipates “hundreds of thousands” of attendees for the parade along the National Mall that will start by the Lincoln Memorial and end by the Ellipse just south of the White House.
Flyovers by Black Hawk, Chinook and Apache helicopters will accompany a procession of Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles along the parade route on Constitution Avenue NW.
More than 6,000 soldiers will dress in historic and modern uniforms to march in the streets, which will be capped off with a parachute routine from the Army Golden Knights.
A festival will be held in the hours before the parade starts, and a fireworks show will close out the Army celebration, which coincides with Flag Day and President Trump’s 79th birthday.
“We will celebrate a spectacular military parade in Washington, D.C., like no other,” Mr. Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social last week. “It’s gonna be better and bigger than any parade we’ve ever had in this country.”
Federal organizers said security will be tight for the celebration.
Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s D.C. field office, said 18 miles of “anti-scale” fencing will surround the festival and parade grounds.
In addition, 175 magnetometers will be set up at security checkpoints that people will have to go through and drones will be hovering overhead to monitor the crowds.
Officials said they are preparing for a variety of protests around the celebration site Saturday.
Demonstrations against deportations and the Trump administration are anticipated to include a march to the White House.
Authorities also said they are monitoring for any skirmishes between police and protesters related to immigration enforcement.
Los Angeles has endured riots over the past week as agitators sparred with police over illegal immigration raids in the city. Similar protests have sprouted up across the country, with hundreds of demonstrators being arrested in confrontations with officers.
“We’re paying attention, obviously, to what is happening there. We’ll be ready,” Mr. McCool said. “We have a robust plan for civil disobedience.”
Agent Phillip Bates of the FBI’s D.C. field office said there were “no credible threats” to the parade and festival at the moment.
The U.S. Park Police and the Metropolitan Police Department said every officer will be working Saturday.
The parade has also been declared a National Special Security Event, putting it on par with the same level of security as a presidential inauguration or state funeral.
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith warned of major traffic disruptions due to extensive road closures downtown.
All roads around the National Mall between 23rd and 14th streets in Northwest are closed through the weekend, as are all roads north of Constitution Avenue NW up until the E Street Northwest. Parts of Madison and Jefferson Drive just east of 14th Street NW will also be shut down during that same period.
Since Wednesday, the Office of Personnel Management recommended that federal agencies allow their employees to work remotely to accommodate the changes in traffic patterns.
Chief Smith urged attendees to arrive by public transit where possible. The Smithsonian Metro Station will be closed Saturday, so people are encouraged to go to either the L’Enfant Plaza or Federal Triangle stations instead.
Leading up to the parade, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she would seek federal dollars to repair any damage the 60-ton Abrams tanks and other vehicles may cause on the roads.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the celebration will cost anywhere from $25 to $40 million, depending on how much pavement is torn up by the Paladins, a self-propelled Howitzer that looks just like a tank, and Strykers, an armed troop transport vehicle with eight large wheels.
Col. Jesse Curry, the director of the Army’s Office of the Chief of Engineers, said metal plates are being laid where the heavy equipment could most likely cause trouble.
“Primarily it is metal plating that’s being put down to address those areas where tanks have to steer sharply and we get a little bit of grinding reaction from between those tracks,” Col. Curry said earlier this week. “Throughout the straightaways, we really have very little, or no concerns, about there being any other damage.”
The festival begins at 11 a.m. with the parade beginning at 6:30 p.m. Once the parade finishes at 7:30 p.m., there will be a concert on the Mall until the fireworks show starts at 9:45 p.m.
• This story is based in part on wire service reports.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.