LEXINGTON, Va., June 16, 2025—A group of 49 Virginia Military Institute cadets, along with VMI Army ROTC staff members, marched in the Army’s 250^th Birthday Parade in Washington, D.C., June 14, to commemorate the founding of the U.S. Army in 1775. The Army is the oldest of the six branches of the U.S. armed forces.

The parade highlighted the Army throughout the years, including the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Global War on Terror, the Army of today, and the Army of the future, in which VMI was included.

 
Photos courtesy of Army ROTC (L) and  Staff Sgt. Oscar Toscano, U.S. Army [DVIDs] (R).

Maj. Mackenzie Colella ’08, assistant professor of military science at VMI, said it was an honor for VMI to be part of the Army’s birthday celebration. “We are very proud of how they performed in the parade. They marched with precision and looked great!”

Blake Darmante ’26, a cadet from Lexington, said it was a pleasure to participate in the parade. “It was a unique opportunity offered to us to represent VMI in our nation’s capital.”

While in D.C., the cadets were able to tour the Capitol Building led by VMI alumnus Lt. Col. Rob Kelly ’08, Army Congressional Defense fellow. They also ran in the “Army Birthday Run” through Arlington Cemetery alongside Army units from across the capital region. The run was preceded by addresses from the Secretary of the Army, Daniel P. Driscoll, and Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Randy A. George.

Founded in 1916, the VMI Army ROTC Program, known as the Blue Ridge Battalion, is the largest Army ROTC Program in the country and commissions more Army officers each year than any other ROTC program. The Blue Ridge Battalion is also responsible for providing basic military instruction to all non-commissioning cadets in support of VMI’s mission to produce citizen-soldiers. 

More about VMI’s participation in the parade may be found from WDBJ.

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE