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US defence secretary reviewing rules on military’s fitness and appearance (www.irishexaminer.com)

submitted 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

15 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The US defence secretary’s decision to review military standards on combat and physical fitness and appearance opens a Pandora’s box of widely differing rules among the services.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

How much you want to bet we’re going to start having military parades to “show off our strength”.

Trump specifically asked for this in his first term. As I recall, his advisors recommended against it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_2018_Washington_Veterans_Day_Parade

The 2018 Washington Veterans Day Parade (colloquially called "Trump's military parade") was a planned military parade that would have taken place in Washington, D.C., on November 10, 2018, in honor of the Veterans Day holiday (which took place on 11 November).

The parade was expected to include members of all five armed services; the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and the Coast Guard, with other units that were to be dressed in period uniforms representing earlier times in the United States military history.[3] A memo from General Joseph Dunford reported that the parade was to have focused on historic battles and conflicts such as the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.[4] Between 5,000 and 7,000 service members were to have taken part in the parade, which was to begin at the U.S. Capitol and end at the White House. The evolution of women in the service was also to be highlighted in the parade, along with an emphasis on the price of freedom.[5] The parade would have included 100 wheeled vehicles instead of tanks, as well as a heavy air component featuring 50 aircraft at the end of the parade.[6][7] U.S. President Donald Trump would have been situated in a reviewing area and surrounded by military heroes.[8] Medal of Honor recipients would have been included in reviewing the parade with the President and would have marched in the parade.[5]

Opinion of parade

Support

In February 2017, very few lawmakers backed the idea of a military parade. Senator David Perdue, a Republican of Georgia, told reporters "He's the President of the United States. Personally, I would prefer not to do it. But he's the president."[20] Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican of South Carolina, supported the parade if it honored the military itself, and not the "...Soviet-style hardware display."[20]

AMVETS, a group that advocates for military veterans, felt that potentially the parade would inspire more Americans to join the armed forces.[21]

Against

Other politicians spoke out against the parade. Representative Adam Smith, a Democrat of Washington and members of the House Armed Services Committee released a statement that highlighted "A military parade like this - one that is unduly focused on a single person - is what authoritarian regimes do, not democracies."[20] Senator John Kennedy, a Republican of Louisiana, told reporters "We're not North Korea, we're not Russia, and we're not China and I don't want to be", while speaking out against the proposed parade.[22]

Robert O'Neill, a former Navy SEAL, tweeted in February 2018 that any military parade would be "...third world bullshit."[23] Other military veterans echoed the sentiment with calls for the money to be spent on housing, employment and mental health care to better support the troops.[22] A veteran of the War in Afghanistan highlighted that it would seem unreasonable to hold a parade in celebration while a 19-year-old war (per 2020) was still ongoing.[21]