CLEVELAND (NNS) -- Cleveland Navy Week brings Sailors, along with new understanding of the Navy's mission, to the people of Ohio, Aug. 30 - Sept. 6.
Cleveland Navy Week is just one of 19 Navy Weeks held across America in 2010. The purpose of Navy Week is to help Americans see first-hand the investment they have made in their Navy, and increase awareness in areas that do not have a significant Navy presence.
Dozens of events helped shape the week, including a 'Navy Night' celebration with the Cleveland Indians; personal visits with children at a local children's hospital; free music concerts by the U.S. Fleet Forces Band, 'Four Star Edition'; Sailor visits to youth centers and non-profits in an effort to give back to the local community; and site visits to industries and universities located throughout the Cleveland metro area.
Cleveland Navy Week proved to be a successful event that offered area residents many opportunities to meet Sailors, and learn about the Navy's critical mission and broad capabilities.
Rear Adm. Julius S. Caesar, Vice Director of Joint Concept Development & Experimentation at U.S. Joint Forces Command, and Rear Adm. Wendi B. Carpenter, Commander of Navy Warfare Development Command, served as the Navy's senior representatives for Cleveland Navy Week. Each made multiple appearances at civic clubs, corporate headquarters, local hospitals and universities, describing what makes the U.S. Navy a global force for good.
Rear Adm. Caesar received the city's Navy Week proclamation, naming the first week of September "Cleveland Navy Week." Capt. Dixon Hicks, commanding officer of the guided-missile submarine USS Ohio (SSGN 726), presented a flag that was flown over Ohio to Airport Commissioner Fred Szabo during the proclamation ceremony aboard the museum ship USS Cod, which is permanently moored along the waterfront in downtown Cleveland.
Cleveland Navy Week offered several venues for the public to meet Sailors and learn more about the Navy. Throughout the week Navy Sailors met with various local organizations and participated in numerous community relations events.
Navy officers summed up Cleveland Navy Week as a way to reach deep into the local community to tell the Navy's story.
"Cleveland Navy Week is a good time for us to build awareness about the Navy, and to let folks know that we're here and we're available," said Cmdr. Edward Rankin, commanding officer of Navy Recruiting District (NRD) Ohio.
Namesake Sailors agreed. "I think it's important to be here because communities often don't understand what we do. We can show them what the Navy is about, what we're doing for our nation and what their tax dollars are doing to support the armed forces," said Capt. Hicks, "I think it's critical that we come back and show what we do for them."
"This is bringing the Navy to a part of the country where there's not a lot of Navy," said NRD Ohio Command Master Chief Aaron Shipley. "When you see Sailors walking around Cleveland, it draws attention. It adds the community aspect. It brings the community and the Navy together. It's not only a great recruiting tool, but a great tool to bring a presence to what the Navy does around the world."
Shipley hopes Cleveland Navy Week leaves a lasting mark on the local community. "I hope the takeaway is that the Navy is doing great things. That people in the Navy are doing great things, not just in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they're doing great things throughout the world, throughout the country," he said. "And, that the Navy is a great place for young men and women to start or finish a career."
Rear Adm. Caesar believes bringing the Navy to Cleveland helps inform local citizens that the Navy truly is a global force for good. But, in the end, he said it's all about showing them that this is America's Navy.
"I think it's important to honor a lot of our citizens and to show them that the Navy really cares," he said. "It's important to tell our story. In the Navy, we operate on our coasts, so it's so important for us to go into the heartland. And, finally, we are here to encourage students and encourage our future recruits to study hard in school, and to aspire to become a part of something bigger than themselves, and the Navy provides that."
As Cleveland Navy Week wrapped up, the annual Cleveland National Air Show showcased the Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team, which delighted the crowds with its precision high-flying maneuvers.
The Navy Blue Angels F/A-18 Flight Simulator gave hundreds of show attendees the virtual experience of being in the cockpit of a Navy jet.
Navy recruiters from NRD Ohio visited with a steady stream of people eager to learn more about career opportunities in the Navy.
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