Millington, Tenn. (NNS) . The U.S. Navy is preparing to bring a Navy Week back to Houston during the week of October 24-30, as the 12th Navy Week of the calendar year.
Houston Navy Week will bring between 50 and 75 Sailors from across the nation to volunteer throughout the community and discuss why the Navy matters to Houston. This will be the first Navy Week hosted by Houston and the surrounding communities since 2016.
Houston Navy Week will feature in-person demonstrations, performances, and engagements throughout the week that will include:
· Senior Navy Leaders – Flag officers with ties to Houston and the surrounding area.
· Namesake Sailors – Sailors serving on USS San Jacinto (CG-56), a Ticonderoga-class cruiser and USS Texas (SSN-775), a Virginia-class submarine.
· U.S. Navy Parachute Team, The Leap Frogs – Performances throughout the week and during the Wings Over Houston Air Show.
· Navy Band Great Lakes – Performances with Navy Musicians.
· Naval History and Heritage Command – Educational presentations and lesson plans about the deep ties between Texas and the Navy.
· Navy Expeditionary Combat Command – Educational STEM presentations and fitness demonstrations by technicians, medics, and divers.
· U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command – Educational presentation on the importance of atmospheric and oceanographic science and the overall value of STEM education to the Navy.
· U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels – Performances at the Wings Over Houston Air Show.
Every Sailor selected to participate in Houston Navy Week, except those with an approved waiver for health or religious reasons, will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Furthermore, the Navy Office of Community Outreach will work closely with community partners in Houston and follow guidance from public health officials.
Navy Weeks are the service’s signature outreach program, designed to allow the citizens of Houston to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity. The Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO) coordinates Navy Weeks.
“We are very excited to bring Navy Week to Houston,” said NAVCO’s director, Cmdr. John Fage. “Navy Weeks give us the opportunity to help connect Americans to their Navy. We are looking forward to safely and responsibly building those connections in the Houston area and showing everyone why their Navy is so important.”
Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort to regions without a significant Navy presence, with over 250 Navy Weeks held in more than 80 different U.S. markets.
“We coordinate about 75 outreach events during a Navy Week through corporate, civic, government, education, media, veterans, and community service engagements,” said NAVCO Navy Week program manager Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Chambers. “The 2022 schedule is exciting for us because we will be in several brand-new markets and making return visits to others, like Houston.”
