It’s not every year that Washington, D.C., puts on the country’s largest show. But when past presidents and politicos descend on the nation’s capital for Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, you can count on Thomas Groppel being there. The seasoned planner has been director of ceremonies for the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee since 1973. From arranging military support for the event to orchestrating the inaugural parade with up to 12,000 participants, Groppel has seen it all. Now, as he gears up for President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, Groppel tells Flyer what it’s like to manage a committee with 100 percent turnover, how he deals with uncooperative weather and why technology has made his job so much easier.

What makes the inauguration this year so much different?
Mechanically, they’re almost all alike. Each is flavored with its own theme and content, but the execution is usually always the same. We may have to make some accommodations for crowd size [on Jan. 20].

How has planning for a new president to take office changed since 1973?
The use of technology. We’re down to something [cell phone] sized, and we used to use a 25-pound tactical radio.

You’ve been in the business a long time. What was the worst inauguration?
Reagan’s second, when we got weathered out. We had it all planned, and we decided at 5 o’clock on the 19th to take the ceremony inside. It was a crystal-clear day, but there was a wind chill of minus 20. The ceremony took place in the Capitol’s rotunda, which meant we went from the usual 92,000 seated to 1,000 standing. And we cancelled the parade altogether.

The number of parade-goers is anticipated to be in the millions. How many are really expected?
We have no idea. The city and Congress are expecting a large crowd. No doubt there’s a positive energy right now.

You have a new staff every inauguration. How do you get everyone up to speed?
My job is to be the institutional memory. And there are four things we ask every inauguration committee to do: Write a report, help us determine how to man ourselves next time (do we need more photographers than before?), write our budget for [the next event], then execute the inauguration. The committee has four main tasks, and three of them have to do with the future.

Is the pressure on?
I rely on the energy and the intellect of the young soldiers. Their enthusiasm. As long as we can spark them and get them caught up in the moment, everything is fine.

Name the best spot to watch the parade.
I think the parade gets better the farther west it goes, as the marchers are more relaxed. Think about it: A high school band gets here. They’re very nervous at first. The thrill of being selected, being in D.C. But as they march along Pennsylvania Avenue, they calm down, and the parade gets a little better.

Visit www.afic.northcom.mil, www.inauguration.dc.gov and http://inaugural.senate.gov for a complete schedule of Inauguration Day activities.