Defense News: Navy Week returning to the Motor City

Source: United States Navy

Detroit 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 Detroit and the surrounding area.
  • Namesake Sailors – Sailors serving on the littoral combat ship USS Detroit (LCS 7), and the Ohio-class nuclear-powered guided missile submarine USS Michigan (SSGN 727).
  • Navy Band Great Lakes – Performances and masterclasses with Navy Musicians.
  • Naval History and Heritage Command – Educational presentations and lesson plans about the deep ties between Michigan and the Navy. 
  • USS Constitution – Demonstrations about the oldest commissioned ship in the Navy. 
  • U.S. Navy SEALs and Special Warfare Combat Craft Crew – Demonstrations and Static displays. 
  • 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.

Detroit was selected by the Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO) as one of 14 locations for the 2022 Navy Week program. The Navy plans to return to the Motor City this summer following visits in 2017 for the commissioning of the littoral combat ship USS Detroit, and in 2015 for Detroit Navy Week.

“We are very excited to bring Navy Week to Detroit,” 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 Detroit 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,” said NAVCO Navy Week program manager Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Chambers. “Outreach events range from corporate, civic, government, education, media, veterans, community service and youth engagements. We’re excited about this year’s schedule as it allows us to visit new markets as well as return visits to cities like Detroit.”

Every Sailor selected to participate in Detroit Navy Week, except those with an approved waiver for health or religious reasons, will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

The Navy Office of Community Outreach is working closely with community partners in Detroit and is carefully monitoring guidance from public health officials to ensure a safe event. Navy Weeks have been conducted virtually since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and have recently been brought back as in-person events.

For more information on 2022 Navy Weeks, visit http://outreach.navy.mil. For more information on Detroit Navy Week, visit https://www.outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks-2022/Detroit-2022/ or contact Ensign Andrew Johnson at (205) 283-7592 or andrew.l.johnson4.mil@us.navy.mil.