TAMPA, Fla. — For the first time since 2018, more than 75 sailors from across the nation will head to Tampa for Navy Week.
The "action-packed" schedule of events will take place March 21-27 and includes things like Tampa's Navy Week Proclamation, Blue Angels Airfest, Navy Special Warfare and Tampa-native sailor's robot demos.
Navy Week's goal is to help bring awareness to the military branch through community partnerships and volunteering.
“We are excited to bring the first official Navy Week to Tampa Bay and connect the people of Tampa to their Navy safely and responsibly,” said NAVCO’s director, Cmdr. John Fage. “Tampa Navy Week will allow us to show the people of Tampa what their Navy does for them and why the Navy is important to the city, the state, and the nation. We are excited to spend a week giving back to the city and connecting with those whom we serve.”
Sailors will also participate in volunteer opportunities during their time in the Tampa Bay area. On the schedule is a bay cleanup event at Gandy Beach and packing food at Feeding Tampa Bay.
The Navy Week program serves as the Navy's main outreach effort in areas "that do not have a significant Nay presence," according to the military branch's website.
Since 2005, more than 250 Navy Weeks have been held across 90 different U.S. cities.
“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 engagements. The 2022 schedule is exciting for us because we will be in several brand-new markets, like Tampa Bay.”
The U.S. Navy says sailors selected to participate in Tampa's Navy Week will be fully vaccinated unless approved for a waiver for health or religious reasons.