By: Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Chambers, Navy Office of Community Outreach
MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) – The U.S. Navy is preparing to bring a Navy Week to San Jose, California, during the week of August 15-21, as the ninth Navy Week of the calendar year.
If health conditions permit, the Navy will conduct education and community outreach throughout San Jose and the surrounding communities.
San Jose 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 San Jose. This will be the first Navy Week hosted by San Jose and the surrounding communities.
San Jose 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 San Jose and the surrounding area.
Namesake Sailors – Sailors serving on USS California (SSN 781), a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine.
Navy Band Southwest – Performances and masterclasses with Navy Musicians.
Naval History and Heritage Command – Educational presentations and lesson plans about the deep ties between California and the Navy.
USS Constitution – Demonstrations about the oldest commissioned ship in 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.
Every Sailor selected to participate in San Jose 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 San Jose and follow guidance from public health officials.
Navy Weeks are the service’s signature outreach program, designed to allow the citizens of San Jose 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 San Jose,” 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 San Jose 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, like San Jose.”
For more information on San Jose Navy Week, contact Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Chambers at (901) 232-4450 or [email protected].
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With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.