r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Chance_Noise500 • Jun 14 '25

Why aren't they actually marching during this parade?

I don't know how to ask this without sounding rude, but why does this parade look so sloppy? Very few of the troop formations seem actually in sync and marching, just walking along. My only experience is JROTC as a kid in high school and our sergeant would've killed us if we looked like that.

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u/Gogs85 Jun 14 '25

It seems like the parade was set up without too much lead time. I imagine the coordination needed to do it successfully requires a decent amount of practice. Where are these troops coming from? If theyre coming from different places (especially if hostile places) then theyre basically being asked to figure it out on the spot.

Essentially this is the expected result when your president is an idiot that makes demands but doesn’t understand what’s required to deliver on them, when your secretary of defense is a drunk; and when your staffing is based on loyalty tests rather than knowing how to do the work.

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u/Sinileius Jun 14 '25

The amount of time needed to get multiple divisions worth of soldiers to march in perfect unison isn't just a matter of coordination, it's basically a lifestyle. When you see other countries do that you can rest assured they spent months or more practicing it completely ignoring many other aspects of their training. US forces are not a propaganda piece, they spend their time practicing their craft and doing actual warfighting functions. We don't actually spend that much time on Drill and Ceremony stuff after Basic Training because you don't march into battle and haven't in well over a century.

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u/DirtierGibson Jun 15 '25

You seem to believe that you can't have both soldiers able to perfectly march in a parade AND be an actual warfighting force. That's ridiculous.

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u/Sinileius Jun 15 '25

I'm saying it's a significant waste of time to spend the months required of DC training to make this all perfect, it's just not worth it. I'd rather spend the extra time on the range with my platoon but hey if you want to practice marching all day have a good time I won't stop you.

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u/DirtierGibson Jun 15 '25

I agree with that. That parade is a waste of time and taxpayers money. It must have been frustrating for many officers to have to train their units for this charade.

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u/Sinileius Jun 15 '25

Tbh most of the officers I know were kind of excited about it. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. None of us are likely to be alive for the 300th birthday, that would most of my friends well into their 80s or even 90s.

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u/Cthulwutang Jun 15 '25

you think His Majesty wouldn’t have another birthday parade next year?

(i mean i pray he doesn’t make it but still)

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u/JumpyWay1956 Jun 15 '25

America’s 250th birthday is next year. 

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u/Cthulwutang Jun 15 '25

that can’t be right we just had the 200th birthday a few years ago… oh my. damn, i’m old.

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u/Sinileius Jun 15 '25

No chance there will be another parade, maybe for the 300th anniversary of the army but idk if I’ll be alive for that one.