PROVIDENCE, RI – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a West Point graduate and former U.S. Army paratrooper who served in the 82nd Airborne, issued the following statement:

“The U.S. Army and our military personnel are worthy of celebration and recognition each and every day.  They have our unwavering gratitude and support. 

“As a proud Army veteran, I, like all Americans, understand that the strength of our military is its people – generations of brave men and women who defend our nation and stand a post for freedom.  They are not props.  They serve the American people and deserve principled policy, leadership, and action that demonstrates our support for them and matches their enduring sacrifice.

“While this parade is a reminder that a president gets to give the military its marching orders, it’s really a demonstration of how this president prioritizes his own image above the needs of the American people, particularly those in uniform, whom he has frequently ridiculed. 

“Given the chaotic state of affairs – with Marines deployed in Los Angeles, President Trump threatening to “have troops everywhere” within the United States, and unfolding attacks in the Middle East -- locking down the nation’s capital to parade tanks and military hardware through the streets is not an appropriate way to honor servicemembers.  That sounds like something an isolated, insecure despot would do for his own aggrandizement.  

“Our military has important missions to accomplish.  The tens of millions of dollars expended for this event could be better allocated to improve the lives and readiness of our servicemembers and their families.

“I think we should be celebrating the Army’s 250th anniversary, but doing it in the dignified way that the Army itself had originally planned, which was an appropriate, right-sized, static celebration on the Mall and a fitting salute to the generations of brave Americans who have served and continue to serve our nation with great courage and distinction.”