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When was the last military parade in DC? A look back at 1991

By Miracle Gross
Published  June 11, 2025 2:11pm EDT
Washington, D.C.
FOX 5 DC
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Washington DC June 8-1991 A flag-waving crowd of 200,000 Saturday cheered veterans of Operation Desert Storm as the nation's capital staged its biggest victory celebration since the end of World War II. Stealth fighter planes zoomed overhead, tanks and Patriot missiles rolled by and more than 8,000 battle-clad troops marched past a beaming President Bush in a display of the American military might that crushed Iraq in 43 days of combat. Crews stood up in hatches of Bradley Fighting Vehicles and (Photo by Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Trump’s military parade will be the first major D.C. military procession since the 1991 Gulf War victory celebration.
    • The 1991 event included approximately 8,000 troops and cost around $12 million; this year’s parade is budgeted at $45 million.
    • Event preparations include heightened security: 19 miles of barricades, drone patrols and federal agents deployed citywide.

WASHINGTON - When tanks roll down the streets of the nation’s capital this Saturday for the Army’s 250th birthday celebration, it will mark the first major military parade in Washington, D.C., in more than three decades.

The backstory:

The last major military parade in the capital was held on June 8, 1991, under President George H.W. Bush to mark the U.S. victory in the Gulf War.

Operation Desert Storm, which lasted from January to February 1991, was a swift and decisive campaign by a U.S.-led coalition to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The victory was widely celebrated across the country and cemented America's post-Cold War military dominance.

The parade was led by Desert Storm Commander General Norman Schwarzkopf. That event featured 8,000 troops, tanks, helicopters and cost about $12 million, drawing tens of thousands to Constitution Avenue.

Dig deeper:

Trump first floated the idea for a grand military celebration after attending France’s Bastille Day parade in 2018.

Now, as he seeks to commemorate the Army’s 250th anniversary—coinciding with his own birthday—the concept has returned with full force.

This weekend’s parade has a higher price tag: the U.S. Army has budgeted approximately $45 million for the event. Meanwhile, D.C. officials plan extensive security measures: nearly 19 miles of barricades, 175 magnetometers, drone surveillance and thousands of agents from the Secret Service, FBI, Park Police and other federal agencies.

What's next:

The parade, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Constitution Avenue, will feature more than 6,000 soldiers, 150 military vehicles, flyovers by military aircraft, military band performances, a post-parade concert and fireworks.

Trump welcomed the spectacle, calling it "an amazing day" featuring "tanks," "planes," and "all sorts of things." He also issued a stern warning that any protesters at the event "will be met with very big force."

This weekend’s parade revives a rare tradition of large military displays in the nation’s capital. Trump frames it as a celebration of the Army’s heritage and national pride.

It also marks 250 years since the founding of the U.S. Army in 1775, predating the Declaration of Independence, and highlights the military’s continued role in American identity and defense.

Washington, D.C.MilitaryNews