Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Friday 17 august 2018
$92M is new estimate

for Trump military

parade; big increase

By LOLITA C. BALDOR lier times in the nation's his-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The tory. It also is expected to
Veterans Day military pa- involve a number of military
rade ordered up by Presi- aircraft flyovers.
dent Donald Trump would A Pentagon planning
cost about $92 million, U.S. memo released in March
officials said Thursday, cit- said the parade would
ing preliminary estimates feature a "heavy air com-
more than three times the ponent," likely including
price first suggested by the older, vintage aircraft. It
White House. also said there would be
According to the officials, "wheeled vehicles only, no
roughly $50 million would tanks — consideration must
cover Pentagon costs for be given to minimize dam-
In this Jan. 20, 2017, file photo, military units participate in the inaugural parade from the Capitol aircraft, equipment, per- age to local infrastructure."
to the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.
Associated Press sonnel and other support Big, heavy tanks could tear
for the November parade up streets in the District of
in Washington. The remain- Columbia.
der would be borne by The memo from Mattis' of-
other agencies and largely fice provided initial plan-
involve security costs. The ning guidance to the chair-
officials spoke on condition man of the Joint Chiefs of
of anonymity to discuss ear- Staff. His staff is planning
ly planning estimates that the parade along a route
have not yet been finalized from the White House to
or released publicly. the Capitol, and would
Officials said the plans integrate it with the city's
have not yet been ap- annual veterans' parade.
proved by Defense Secre- U.S. Northern Command,
tary Jim Mattis. which oversees U.S. troops
The parade's cost has be- in North America, is respon-
come a politically charged sible for the actual execu-
issue, particularly after tion of the parade.
the Pentagon canceled Earlier this year, the White
a major military exercise House budget director told
planned for August with Congress that the cost to
South Korea, in the wake of taxpayers could be be-
Trump's summit with North tween $10 million and $30
Korean leader Kim Jong million. Those estimates
Un. Trump said the drills were likely based on the
were provocative and that cost of previous military pa-
dumping them would save rades, such as the one in
the U.S. "a tremendous the nation's capital in 1991
amount of money." The celebrating the end of the
Pentagon later said the Ko- first Gulf War, and factored
rea drills would have cost in some additional increase
$14 million. for inflation. One veterans
Lt. Col. Jamie Davis, a Pen- group weighed in Thursday
tagon spokesman, would against the parade. "The
only say Thursday that De- American Legion appre-
fense Department plan- ciates that our President
ning for the parade "con- wants to show in a dra-
tinues and final details are matic fashion our nation's
still being developed. Any support for our troops," Na-
cost estimates are pre-de- tional Commander Denise
cisional. We will announce Rohan said. "However,
more information when it until such time as we can
is available." While details celebrate victory in the
are still being worked out, War on Terrorism and bring
the parade is expected to our military home, we think
include troops from all five the parade money would
armed services — the Army, be better spent fully fund-
Navy, Air Force, Marine ing the Department of Vet-
Corps and Coast Guard eran Affairs and giving our
— as well as units in period troops and their families
uniforms representing ear- the best care possible."q