Preparations are underway for the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary parade in Washington D.C., which also falls on President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
Held in the nation’s capital, the event is set to include Army parachutists jumping from aircraft, landing and giving Trump an American flag for his birthday, Pentagon officials said, according to Axios.
More than two dozen M1 Abrams tanks, scores of infantry vehicles and thousands of soldiers are also expected to be involved in the event.
A rare sight in Washington D.C., the last major military parade was held in 1991 to celebrate the end of the first Gulf War. The large military movement into the city comes only days after Trump sent 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles amid an immigration crackdown and protests.
With only days before the Saturday, June 14 event, tanks, helicopters and other military vehicles are beginning to stage in the nation’s capital.
Photos: Preparations underway for US Army’s 250th anniversary parade
Contributing: George Petras and Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Photos: Military vehicles set up in Washington DC before parade