PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Picatinny Arsenal will observe Armed Forces Day by hosting a special celebration that is once again open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 9.

The day will be devoted to traditional Picatinny Armed Forces Day activities. This year's theme is Supporting the Warfighter.

One of the mainstays of the celebration, the Armed Forces Day Parade, will begin at 11 a.m. The parade will feature marching bands, military and vintage vehicles and local veteran and scout groups.

Other planned activities for the day include a Civil War re-enactment, tank-car crushes, concerts, kiddie events and exhibits of military equipment and Picatinny programs.

The observance will be preceded by a private dedication ceremony of memorial trees to those New Jersey service members who lost their lives during 2008.

The announced schedule of events begins at 10 a.m. when the exhibit and display areas open as well as the re-enactor encampment areas, the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps recruiter stations, military static display tents and children's events.

Then at 11 a.m., New Jersey Air National Guard Flyover begins the 2009 Armed Forces Day parade. Following the parade, the Army Materiel Command Band is scheduled to begin playing at noon.

At 12:30 p.m. visitors will be treated to reenactments from the Revolutionary War, Civil War Artillery and World War II.

The very popular M60 Tank-vs.-car crush is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and a Ripsaw vehicle-vs.-car event is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

During the time between the two "crush" events, the Black Knights Parachute Team will land at Picatinny at about 2 p.m.

Picatinny has been celebrating Armed Forces Day since it was established May 20, 1950.

Although Picatinny did not have an open house on post in 1950, it participated in a parade in nearby Dover. Picatinny held its first Armed Forces Day open house on the installation May 16, 1953, when 600 people attended, thus establishing a Morris County tradition, the Armed Forces Day parade. Over the years, the parade attracted marching groups from all over the greater tri-state area.