WASHINGTON (June 10, 2025) – In celebration of the Army’s 250th anniversary, two dozen tanks will roll through downtown D.C. and 50 helicopters will fly overhead. In addition, thousands of troops will participate in marches.
The parade will take place on Constitution Avenue, NW, between 23rd and 15th streets.
Experts at the George Washington University are available to provide commentary and analysis on Saturday’s event. To speak with an expert, please contact Claire Sabin at claire [dot] sabin
gwu [dot] edu (claire[dot]sabin[at]gwu[dot]edu) or Shannon Mitchell at shannon [dot] mitchellgwu [dot] edu (shannon[dot]mitchell[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Civil Engineering Expert:
Kim Roddis, professor emerita of civil and environmental engineering and a registered professional engineer, has experience in heavy industrial and general commercial building design, as well as in bridge design. She is an expert on the application of artificial intelligence and advanced computing methods to civil engineering problem solving.
“The M1 Abrams tank is one of the heaviest tanks in service. The load on DC’s streets will be about twice as much as the maximum truck load they are expected to carry,” said Roddis. “The Army is taking precautions to try to keep the tank treads from tearing up the road surfaces. Of more concern is what the tank weight might do to the city’s infrastructure under the street. It would be straightforward to repair the road surface. It could be difficult to repair the many pipes, cables, conduits, manholes, tunnels and other utilities under the street if they are damaged.”
Political Experts:
Peter Loge, director of GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs, has nearly 30 years of experience in politics and communications. Loge currently leads the Project on Ethics in Political Communication at the School of Media and Public Affairs and continues to advise advocates and organizations. He can speak to the factors behind the administration’s desires to orchestrate such a large-scale military parade.
Todd Belt, director of the Political Management Program at the GW Graduate School of Political Management. Belt is an expert on the presidency, campaigns and elections, mass media and politics, public opinion, and political humor.
Matt Dallek, professor of political management at GW’s Graduate School of Political Management is a political historian with an expertise in the intersection of social crises and political transformation and the evolution of the modern conservative movement. He is the author of Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right.
Legal Expert:
Laura A. Dickinson, the Lyle T. Alverson Professor of Law at The George Washington University Law School. Dickinson is an expert on national security, human rights, the law of armed conflict, and foreign affairs privatization.
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