For Trump’s Birthday Military Parade, Veterans Organizations Demand “Military Off Our Streets”

Ironically, Trump’s Military Parade Has More Security Than His Inauguration

By Colonel (Ret) Ann Wright

Having served 29 years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves and retiring as a Colonel, I am ashamed that the 250th birthday of the institution I was in for almost 3 decades has been politicized by President Donald Trump for his birthday celebration.

The idea of a big military parade was quashed by military leadership in Trump’s first term.  But Trump’s appointment of Pete Hegseth, his chief interviewer on FOX News and extremely unqualified person as Secretary of Defense, has insured there are no objections to Trump’s wild decisions on how to use the U.S. military as his personal plaything, his toy, to include now ordering a parade in his honor, no matter how the $3 billion Pentagon public relations team tries to portray it as a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States Army.

In our polarized U.S. society, the administration has defended its decision to have the parade by taking extraordinary measures on the security of the parade and military equipment.  Many streets in downtown Washington, DC have been closed.  The entire national mall and the White House have been cordoned off by 12 foot high metal fences.

The level of closure of national property in Washington is unprecedented even including Presidential inaugurations.

Irony of Providing Massive Protection for the U.S. Army from its Citizens

It is quite ironic that Trump and his advisors feel that the mighty U.S. Army personnel and equipment must be protected from its citizens.

 I suspect that all the way from top leaders of the Army down to the Army privates that are driving the tanks and other equipment in the parade are embarrassed about Trump’s decision to politicize the anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army…and then feel the need to protect them from their fellow citizens!!

The U.S. military as Trump’s Private Militia

I also suspect that the rank and file of the U.S. military is beginning to feel like they are now considered to be Trump’s private militia, not the military charged with defending the country. Many in our military do recognize that the rationale of defending the country by invading and sanctioning other countries is not defending our country, is putting our country in danger by these actions which are the reasons for tragic events such as 9/11.  They also know that the federal law precludes deployment of active duty personnel in the United States unless there is a true national emergency, not a “trumped-up” political campaigning decision.

The deployment of active duty and California National Guard by Trump into the streets of Los Angeles and by federalizing areas around the southern border have made this suspicion a reality for many of them.

Veterans Organizations Demand “Military Off Our Streets”

With Trump’s explicit threat of extreme force to be used against any protest of his birthday parade, yesterday, in the evening Friday, June 13, 2025, hundreds of U.S. military veterans rallied in Washington, DC with a press conference in front of the U.S. Supreme Court denouncing Trump’s threats of violence and declaring that they want “Military Off Our Streets.”  Organized by About Face, Veterans For Peace and other veterans groups, 60 were arrested for sitting peacefully and nonviolently on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

Ann Wright served 29 years in the U.S. Army/Army Reserves and retired as a Colonel.  She was also a US diplomat for 16 years and resigned in 2003 in opposition to the US war on Iraq.  She is a member of Veterans For Peace.