Some Military Bases Cancel July 4th Fireworks

Sequestration budget cuts and furloughs are forcing a number of military bases across the country to cancel Fourth of July fireworks displays, the Associated Press has reported.

Officials at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in North Carolina, for example, said they couldn’t justify paying overtime to employees for the celebration when Defense civilians and other federal workers face smaller paychecks this summer due to furloughs, AP said. Last year, Camp Lejeune spent about $100,000 on Independence Day, including $25,000 for the fireworks, AP said.

The base’s commanding general, Brig. Gen. Thomas Gorry, said canceling the events would “ensure that we can mitigate the fiscal challenges we are currently facing,” according to the AP report.

In addition to the Camp Lejeune cancelation, AP said, fireworks and celebrations have been canceled at the Army's Fort Bragg base, also in North Carolina, as well as at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Ga.; Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, which is planning a smaller party on Wednesday; the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii; and at New Jersey's Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.