January 20th will mark an important date in history; for better or for worse.
And no matter what your political views are, the Presidential Inauguration is a pretty cool thing. But the event doesn’t just happen. Lots of prep work goes into making sure everything goes off without a hitch.
Joint Task Force – National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) is the group that makes sure the entire inaugural period (basically this whole week) is supported by the military.
According the JTF-NCR website:
Military involvement in the Presidential Inauguration dates back to April 30, 1789, when members of the Continental Army, local militia units and Revolutionary War veterans escorted George Washington to his first inauguration ceremony.
All told, we have had 66 presidential inauguration ceremonies. That’s a few more than the number of presidents we’ve had (43 before Trump), but FDR had a lot to do with that.
How does the military support the inauguration? Here are some of the ways the military will play a pivotal role in this week:
- Rehearsal, Rehearsal, Rehearsal – Jan. 15th
- Wreath Laying Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery – Jan. 19th
- Inaugural Parade – Jan. 20th
- Military marching bands
- Color guards
- Parade of troops from all the services (active, reserve, national guard, & service academies)
- Inaugural Ball – Jan. 20th
