Defense News: Navy Week Program Sets Sail for Boston

Source: United States Navy

Boston 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 Boston. This will be the first Navy Week hosted by Boston and the surrounding communities since 2012.

Boston Navy Week will feature in-person demonstrations, performances and engagements throughout the week that will include:

  •  Senior Navy Leaders – Flag officer and senior civilian Navy leaders with ties to Boston and the surrounding areas.
  • Namesake Sailors – Sailors serving aboard PCU Massachusetts (SSN-798), a Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine and USS Constitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat.
  • Navy Band Northeast – Performances and masterclasses with Navy Musicians.
  • Naval History and Heritage Command – Educational presentations and lesson plans about the deep ties between Boston and the Navy. 
  • Navy Ceremonial Guard – The Navy’s esteemed drill team/color guard.
  • Navy Expeditionary Combat Command – Educational STEM presentations and fitness demonstrations by technicians, medics, and divers. 
  • U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command – Educational presentations on the importance of atmospheric and oceanographic science and the overall value of STEM education to the Navy.

Navy Weeks are the service’s signature outreach program, designed to allow the citizens of Boston 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 thrilled to bring the Navy to Boston,” said NAVCO’s director, Cmdr. Anthony Falvo. “Though our Navy is deployed around-the-world and around-the-clock, the Navy Week program allows us to showcase our Navy in places that don’t enjoy an everyday naval presence. Most importantly, it affords us the opportunity to highlight our most important asset – the highly skilled men and women of the United States Navy who ensure our warfighting advantage to preserve our American way of life.”

Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort to regions without a significant Navy presence, with over 300 Navy Weeks held in more than 85 different U.S. markets. Each year, the program reaches more than 130 million people — about half the U.S. population.

“Our mission is to connect with the heartbeat of each community, and we strive to make a lasting impact on the Sailors, partners and community members,” said NAVCO Navy Week program manager, Lt. Caroline Ready. “We coordinate with corporations, civic and community service organizations, local government, educational institutions, media, and veterans to give the community as many opportunities as possible to engage with their Navy.”

For more information on Boston Navy Week, visit https://outreach.navy.mil or contact Lead Planner, Ensign Josh Keim at (901) 232-4451 or Joshua.a.keim.mil@us.navy.mil.