WASHINGTON — Thousands of people flocked to the nation’s capital Saturday for a city-wide celebration to honor the Army’s 250th birthday.

“Two and a half centuries defending this nation. Two and a half centuries of service, sacrifice and strength. More importantly, two and a half centuries of unwavering commitment to a simple but profound promise: This we’ll defend,” said retired Master Sgt. Matthew Williams, a Medal of Honor recipient.

But the day is not just about celebrating the Army’s birthday, he said.

“We reaffirm the bond between soldier and nation, history and future, between the people and those who defend them. Without the unwavering support of our nation, our army would not exist,” Williams said.

Saturday’s festival at the National Mall in Washington included more than three dozen interactive booths, as well as military equipment and robotics displays. The public also had the opportunity to interact with soldiers and Army astronauts, participate in fitness competitions and watch the Army cut its birthday cake.

“You want to hop on up there?,” Army veteran Floyd Werner Jr. said to a young child he helped peer inside an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter. Turning to an adult, Werner said: “This is what it is all about — teaching the new generation.”

Bordering the grass at the National Mall were multiple historic military aircraft, such as the AH-1 Cobra and a UH-1 Iroquois utility helicopter. Werner, who is a volunteer pilot with the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, was part of the team that flew historic aircraft from Atlantic, Ga., to the nation’s capital for the festival.

A retired chief warrant officer four from the Army’s Air Cavalry Division, Werner flew the now-defunct aircraft in the service for more than 10 years in multiple overseas conflicts. The Army retired the Cobra helicopters in 1999. Three years prior, he said he was privileged with the opportunity to fly the last Army Cobra out of Bosnia, taking it to a royal military museum in Europe.

As hundreds of people poured into the National Mall area, Werner said the turnout was “impressive,” bobbing his Army-issued black cavalry hat as he took in the attendees. He said he hopes the Cobra and other historic aircraft at the festival are “conversation starters.”

“We hope that people understand that it’s an honor and a privilege to serve the nation, and that those people will look back and ask their grandfather or their dad about their time in service,” Werner said.

For some, those memories might be difficult to talk about, he said.

“But maybe it starts a conversation so the legacy won’t be lost,” Werner said.

Earlier in the morning, more than a dozen Army teams competed in a CrossFit-style competition, showcasing their strength, speed and stamina.

Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann of the Army’s Special Operations Command was mixed into the crowd cheering on troops participating in the fitness competition. The day’s festivities, she said, are a great opportunity for young soldiers and the public to interact.

“It is giving those soldiers that opportunity to show what they do, to show who they are, and to understand how much America supports the Army,” said Naumann, who has been in the Army for 29 years. “How uplifting as a young soldier to see all of this.”

Bringing the competition to life required weeks of long hours, according to Sgt. Quentin Johnson, a logistics manager that helped coordinate the fitness competition.

The point of the event was to show the public the level of teamwork that is required of its members, Johnson said. Similar fitness exercises are conducted regularly to teach soldiers how to keep mission-focused under pressure.

“When you are down range, you have got to operate as a team. This represented that, but with a fun twist to it,” he said.

Johnson added he hoped the public saw what the past 14 years in the Army have been like for him: “We have fun, we do good teamwork and it is like a brother-and-sisterhood organization.”

By midday, less than two hours after the festival opened to the public, dozens of attendees gathered around the Army’s technology of the future — autonomous ground drones dubbed “robot dogs” and the new MV-75 Future Long Range Assault Aircraft, which is on track to be fielded to troops in 2030.

Throughout the event, uniformed soldiers roamed the grounds to interact with the public, cheering on live performances and watching demonstrations of new and old technology.

“The best thing about these events is getting the public to meet the actual men and women in uniform and speaking to them and seeing that they are just the kid next door that’s serving his country. That is what the Army is — the American people serving in uniform to protect our country,” said retired Master Sgt. Earl Plumlee, a Medal of Honor recipient.

Two weeks ago, the Army surpassed 61,000 recruits — meeting its active-duty enlistment goal for 2025. The Army achieved this goal four months before its deadline, marking the earliest the service has reached its annual enlistment target in more than a decade, service officials.

The next generation’s time is now, said Plumlee and retired Sgt. Maj. Thomas Payne, also a Medal of Honor recipient.

“Seeing the next generation come from all walks of life, stepping up, and being willing to serve — it makes me proud,” Payne said.

On the main stage, attendees applauded a live performance by Scotty Hasting, a country music singer and Army veteran. The lyrics of an unreleased new song rang out over the crowd.

“Two to the chest, thank God for the vest,” Hasting sang.

“Wow, that hits the heart,” one attendee said of the lyric over the music.

Hasting’s lyrics honored his own military service and were a tribute to all Army soldiers. In April 2011, while serving as an infantryman, Hasting was flown out of Afghanistan on a medivac after being shot ten times. He received a Purple Heart for being wounded in action. Hasting was medically discharged in 2015.

Hundreds of attendees were still pouring into the festival just hours before the day’s culminating event — a military parade through the streets of Washington. The day was scheduled to conclude with a firework show over the nation’s capital as a display of American patriotism.

The medal affixed to Williams’ neck glinted in the sun as he concluded his speech on the main stage. He encouraged attendees to thank the soldiers of past, present and future.

“For 250 years, the United States Army has kept this promise: This we’ll defend,” he said. “We will carry that legacy forward with humility, with pride and with resolve to meet whatever challenges the next 250 years may bring.”

previous coverage

• Here’s a look at our coverage for the Army’s 250th birthday
• Tanks, heavy vehicles on way to Washington as Army prepares for 250th anniversary celebration 

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