Sequestration Scraps July 4th Celebration

Military fireworks won’t be going off as planned this Independence Day due to the so-called federal sequester.

Jersey's Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Lakehurst, N.J. has canceled its annual July Fourth celebration due to furloughs caused by congressionally mandated automatic budget cuts.

The annual event featured displays by the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. There also were fireworks.

The Defense Department recently announced furloughs for most civilian employees would begin in July. In a statement, the New Jersey military installation said it relies heavily on those employees to host the event.

In its press release, the base explained why its annual July Fourth event is so important to community relations.

"The annual celebration… provided the joint base with an opportunity to show our appreciation to the surrounding communities and celebrate the birth of our great nation. It also provided the joint base with an opportunity to highlight the active-duty, reserve and guard service members of the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard who ensure total force integration by training, supporting and sustaining global contingency operations from the joint base."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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