The U.S. Army is planning a historic parade through the streets of Washington, D.C., on June 14 that will coincide with and be part of the Army’s long-planned 250th celebration.

The parade will involve some 6,600 soldiers, tanks and infantry vehicles, helicopter flyovers and parachute jumps, according to several people familiar with the planning effort, and will also occur on Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.

The timing and White House involvement in planning efforts have stoked speculation that Trump is using the Army’s birthday as an excuse to get the kind of grand military parade he wanted during his first term in office. That event was scrapped after estimates topped $90 million.

  • Zaktor
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    15 hours ago

    And they can freely walk away at any time. Yes, there may be financial penalties, but they’re not going to prison like when the draft existed, which makes this a question of “how much money do you need to be paid to do this”, not a person forced to participate against their will.

    We owe them psychological counseling and healthcare for injuries inflicted during their time, but they aren’t special people we have some inherent duty to respect and provide for.

    • Gordon Calhoun@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      AWOL - Absence Without Leave. A violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. May result in an Article 15 Hearing, AKA Non-judicial Punishment, or Court Martial. Confinement may be one of the resulting punishments. Deserting assigned duty is absolutely not taken lightly. Anyone wishing to separate should find a different, more legal, way to do it. I’ve heard failing to pass the body composition or fitness standard is one of the easier ways to get a discharge prior to contract fulfillment. https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title10-section886&num=0&edition=prelim

      • Zaktor
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        7 hours ago

        No, like you can just quit. Not disappear without leave. Resign

        • Gordon Calhoun@lemmy.world
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          4 hours ago

          I think someone can ask to resign, and officers may have a little bit easier of a time resigning a commission, but typically most service members are on a contract for a certain term of service. Quitting before the contract is up…I’m not certain it’s as easy as just quitting, based on posts I’ve seen in r/army.