Army Secretary says recruiting centers will be “busting at the seams” after D.C. parade

The Army is celebrating its 250th birthday this year, and there's a lot going on this month to honor that milestone

However, there's a great deal of controversy surrounding the cost and the effort that's going into the military parade that's happening

Lawmakers, I think, pushed back last week over the cost of the parade and how that money could be spent elsewhere, like caring for veterans or military families

So what's the strategic value of putting tanks on Constitution Avenue? And you spoke about this being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

So can you elaborate a little bit on why do you feel that this is that time

This is honestly one. In the 110 days here, I have friends who vehemently disagree with me

And so I'm actually kind of flummoxed that so many people are taking the opposite side of this one

I guess to the first point, this happened a hundred and what would it be

One hundred and sixty years before President Trump was born. And so calling it a birthday celebration from him, I just like it doesn't match my experience in the building

It doesn't match anything I've heard from the White House. It just doesn't seem accurate

And I think it's interesting that like I fundamentally think our soldiers and our veterans and our communities deserve this

I think that they have sacrificed for this nation The Army is older than our country and it an amazing time to tell the story of all of the things they done throughout time whether it wildfires in California flooding in North Carolina

I talked to a colonel this morning who's on the International Space Station. The Army just has had this incredible role in addition to providing security to the American people

And so just on that basis, I think it's an incredible opportunity. but then very specifically for recruiting, I think that there is a sense of pride and patriotism that has been rebuilding since President Trump came back into office

And I think this is an incredible time for America's youth to get to see their army in all her majesty

And I think my guess is, and there will be quantitative data around this, so I will come back to you and tell you whether I was right or wrong

I think our recruitment centers are going to be busting at the seams in the months following this

And I think even more importantly, because we're on a recruiting tear right now, I'm hoping young people who are four years away from joining and five years away from joining and maybe early in their career, but thinking about switching

I hope they catch a taste for what it's like to serve in the United States Army and just be a part of a group that is so driven by excellence, so driven by patriotism, and so driven by this idea that, like, they're caring for their fellow community members that, like, when I testified on it, I actually believe it would be the wrong decision not to invest against this moment so that America could get a better glimpse of its army. Yeah