Pentagon Announces Military Parade Will Be Postponed Until Next Year

The Pentagon on Thursday evening announced that the military parade planned for November will be postponed until next year.

“The Department of Defense and White House have been planning a parade to honor America’s military veterans and commemorate the centennial of World War I. We originally targeted November 10, 2018 for this event but have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019,” said Department of Defense Spokesman Army Col. Rob Manning.

The announcement comes after CNBC reported that the estimated costs of the parade were as high as $92 million — more than $80 million over  the original cost estimate. Other news outlets picked up the story, which continued to gain attention throughout the day.

The American Legion’s national commander, Denise H. Rohan, issued a statement that said the parade money would be better spent on funding the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“The American Legion appreciates that our president wants to show in a dramatic fashion our nation’s support for our troops. However, until such time as we can celebrate victory in the War on Terrorism and bring our military home, we think the parade money would be better spent fully funding the Department of Veterans Affairs and giving our troops and their families the best care possible,” she said.