Military Parade Sparks Controversy Amid Troop Deployment in Los Angeles

The image military leaders had hoped to present has taken an unexpected turn.

While tanks, armored personnel carriers, and artillery units are transported to Washington for the Army’s 250th anniversary celebrations, National Guard members from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, along with active-duty Marines, have been deployed onto the streets of Los Angeles.

This juxtaposition has prompted unease among military officials and experts.

Several current and former Army representatives expressed concern that the military parade and related events scheduled for Saturday—coinciding with the President’s 79th birthday—might give the impression that the armed forces are endorsing a crackdown on American citizens.

Kori Schake, a former defense official and director of foreign and defense policy studies at a prominent research institute, noted that the simultaneous federalization of the California National Guard and the parade create an unsettling impression.

Initially viewing the parade as relatively unproblematic, Dr. Schake has since voiced concerns over what she describes as the administration’s rapid escalation of military presence in Los Angeles.

Max Rose, an Army veteran and former congressman, commented that the combined scenes risk diminishing public trust in the military at a time when it should symbolize national unity.

He criticized the deployment of the National Guard against the wishes of state and local officials, while simultaneously holding a grand parade reminiscent of displays more common in authoritarian regimes.