1,700 troops will support Trump 'Salute to America' celebrations July 4: Pentagon
Source: The Hill
The Pentagon announced Saturday that roughly 1,700 service members will be involved in the federal governments upcoming July 4 celebrations. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper approved a request from the Department of the Interior for defense officials to support to the 2020 Salute to America, on July 4, according to a Saturday statement.
This years celebrations will include a flyover of Mount Rushmore, in addition to an areal salute in cities that played roles in the American Revolution, beginning in Boston and proceeding to New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., according to the Saturday statement. The Defense Department will also provide aerial, musical and ceremonial support for the commemoration.
Lawmakers have asked the president to cancel the Fourth of July event this year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Ten lawmakers representing the National Capital region sent a letter to Esper and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Tuesday expressing concerns over the event sparking an outbreak.
"Given the current COVID-19 crisis, we believe such an event would needlessly risk the health and safety of thousands of Americans," the lawmakers wrote. The letter was spearheaded by Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and signed by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), and others. "Further, this event would come at the cost of millions of taxpayer dollars while we are facing an unprecedented economic downturn due to the pandemic," they added.
Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/504876-1700-troops-will-support-trump-salute-to-america-celebrations-july-4-pentagon
louis-t
(23,199 posts)getagrip_already
(14,255 posts)expect the pentagon to use soldiers on active duty to fill seats at trump events.
Do you really think they are worried about laws or policies?
Trump has ordered all seats full. The defsec will enforse it.
louzke9
(296 posts)They will look KEEN on video and can fill in empty seats AT THE SAME TIME!
forgotmylogin
(7,496 posts)He can have his stormtroopers march in the streets of DC.
soothsayer
(38,601 posts)stillcool
(32,626 posts)denem
(11,045 posts)keithbvadu2
(36,371 posts)Link to tweet
?ref_src=
denem
(11,045 posts)following a disspointment during the battle of baggage claim. Know ye of a patriot who may vouch for his good character?
Freethinker65
(9,935 posts)The Badlands and Black Hills quite impressive. Mt. Rushmore from the road, yawn. Plus it is pretty remote. I appreciate the undertaking, planning, and effort to sculpt it, but I found the monument to Crazy Horse (still being completed) to be more interesting.
Seriously, flyovers of major cities are not that big of a deal. Most have had their share of air shows over the years. A big, meh. Money would be better spent giving the hospitals or schools in those cities some support.
SergeStorms
(18,907 posts)will be nothing but a campaign event for Hair Furor. All on the taxpayers' dime, again.
Leghorn21
(13,520 posts)keithbvadu2
(36,371 posts)tinrobot
(10,848 posts)No bounties will be paid.
NotHardly
(1,062 posts)NotHardly
(1,062 posts)Trump is a traitor and his intel guys just carry his water ... his intel guys also allowed US soldiers to remain targets after getting no response from this 45 Adm. They hold responsibility as well since they were willing to remain silent while service members were killed.
xxqqqzme
(14,887 posts)picking off service members? With the boom of fireworks it would be easy to mask a gunshot!
MrScorpio
(73,626 posts)And do you know how many times I worked on that day each year?
None, zip, nada.
The freaking building was closed, hell... ALL of Washington DC was closed, because it was a freaking FEDERAL HOLIDAY. We all got to spend time with our friends and family, enjoy all the festivities, including a massive fireworks display on The National Mall to celebrate America (and not just any one narcissistic apocalyptic death cult leader in particular).
Of course, there were some people on duty for the day; essential personnel, like cops, medical staff, people manning the NMCC and whatever. But otherwise, if you weren't on duty that day, you had that day off. The 4th has NEVER been some military demonstration extravaganza until Trump. This was not our day as military personnel, it was everybody's day AS AMERICAN CITIZENS.
I figure that people in uniform resent being USED AS a prop of Trump's proto-fascism. He clearly does not know what the US Military is about. He doesn't respect the profession, or the dedicated men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every single day, 24/7. He doesn't understand that US military personnel have all sworn an oath to defend our Constitution from ALL enemies, both foreign and domestic. He doesn't understand that he himself as behaved as a domestic enemy while in office.
And on this day, right after it was revealed that he ignored Russia putting a bounty on the heads of our brave warriors in Afghanistan, he's expecting 1,700 troops to play eye candy for his ego-boosting extravaganza. These will mostly be lower rank troops and NCOs who were all "volunteered" for this mess in exchange for a day off at a later date. A date other than one of the few days of the year when everyone could be at home enjoying some togetherness. If I were any one of those guys or gals, knowing what I know about the so-called "Commander-In-Chief," I would be royally pissed, having to spend the routinely hot as Satan's balls in DC day in July in my dress blues dodging a viral load while kissing Trump's ass.
This is some fucked up shit indeed.
murielm99
(30,657 posts)I wish I could rec your post.
oasis
(49,152 posts)Flaleftist
(3,473 posts)Thekaspervote
(32,606 posts)Cha
(295,929 posts)master.
Initech
(99,915 posts)bringthePaine
(1,726 posts)GopherGal
(1,999 posts)Historic NY
(37,449 posts)DC was found until July 16, 1790, the Revolutionary War ended April 19, 1783 with a Cessation of Hostilities
SunSeeker
(51,378 posts)SharonClark
(10,005 posts)bomb the bison?
Aristus
(66,098 posts)democrank
(11,052 posts)in a taxpayer-funded campaign commercial.