US Troops To Show They Can Do Dog And Pony Shows Just As Well As The French

[douglas9]

There is absolutely nothing that troops love more than standing at attention in formation — especially in the hot sun.

That’s exactly what nearly 500 service members from all five military branches will do on Tuesday when President Trump and French president Emmanuel Macron “review the troops” on the White House’s South Lawn.

To be clear, all presidents inspect troops. It is customary for the president and the visiting head of state to review the troops during such visits, Adrienne Combs, a spokeswoman for the Military District of Washington, told Task & Purpose. This is not a tradition that began with the Trump administration.

But the president has a deep affection for military pomp and circumstance, and he was reportedly deeply moved by last year’s Bastille Day military parade, which Macron had invited him to attend.

Trump is not the first U.S. president to be influenced by European military showmanship. Former President Nixon was so impressed by Spanish palace guards that he required Secret Service agents guarding the White House to wear Spanish-style military caps that looked nothing like anything U.S. troops or police officers (the headgear did not last long).

https://taskandpurpose.com/military-dog-and-pony-shows/

[JayhawkSD]

1. Don't get me wrong, I despise Trump as much as you do.

But bashing him for doing what virtually every president who came before him did is ridiculous.

Bashing him by saying that he admires and enjoys reviewing the military is absurd.

I am a veteran, US Navy, and I "stood in review" many, many times. I didn't hate it, didn't care one way or the other. It's part of the job. Standing for a presidential and foreign dignitary review would have been something of a kick.

"[T]he president has a deep affection for military pomp and circumstance." Guess what, so does the military. They probably welcome the President giving them an opportunity to engage in it.

Let's bash Trump over real things. There are plenty. Let's not engage in silly trivia.

[The River]

2. What Was Your MOS?

Also a Navy vet (SM2) and outside of boot-camp I never paraded. It was 3 years of combat ops and maybe 8 hours of playing dress-up in all that time. The Brass doesn't want this. Huge waste of time and money.

[JayhawkSD]

4. EM1 SS, diesel boats

Paraded every time ship entered or left port, called "manning the rail." Until my rate advanced to where my station on maneuvering watch had me below in the maneuvering room, that is. I kind of missed it, because for the most part all of us enjoyed putting on dress uniform and manning the rail.

Marched in a couple of parades, but I don't recall the circumstances. I do recall that I loved doing it, as did most of my shipmates.

[The River]

5. Extra Points

for SS service, on diesels no less.
I was 90' above the water on an Essex class carrier.
A day without sunshine was rare.
Only time for a dress uniform was Liberty call.

[TEB]

3. Was it old guard

That is dog and pony show unit I knew some guys served in old guard. Better to be actual infantry than a picture piece.

[DashOneBravo]

6. They actually are real Infantry

My roommate in Jump School was from the 3rd Infantry Regiment. He’d just finished Ranger School and they would smoke him for being a “leg Ranger”.

The Old Guard has to pass the same tests that Infantry units do. They even have one Batt that’s a Stryker unit.

[TEB]

7. I knew 2 guys after osut that got assigned

Too the old guard ran into the one dude after my PCs to west Germany. But I did not know they had Stryker batt today.