This would be the first Navy Week in Austin since 2017. The Navy Office of Community Outreach is working closely with community partners in Austin and is carefully monitoring guidance from public health officials to determine how to best support in-person events. Navy Weeks have been conducted virtually since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
If health conditions permit and in-person events can be accomplished safely, Austin Navy Week will feature live demonstrations, performances, and engagements throughout the week that will include:
- Senior Navy Leaders – Rear Adm. Gene Price, Reserve Deputy Commander of the Naval Information Forces, and senior civilian Navy leaders with ties to Austin and surrounding area
- Namesake Sailors – Sailors serving on USS Texas (SSN 775), a Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine, and USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002), a Zumwalt-class destroyer.
- Hometown Heroes – In-person and virtual events featuring Texas natives serving in the Navy
- Navy Band Southeast – Live Performances in the Austin Capitol, University of Texas and performances welcoming patrons to “Austin City Limits.”
- Naval History and Heritage Command – Educational presentations and lesson plans about the deep ties between Texas and the Navy
- USS Constitution – In-person Sailor demonstrations and live, virtual tours aboard the oldest commissioned ship in the Navy
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal – Educational STEM presentations by technicians, medics, and divers
- Many other entertainment and education-focused groups and events!
Navy Weeks are the service’s signature outreach program, designed to give the citizens of Austin the opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people and its importance to national security and prosperity. Navy Weeks are coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO).
“The Navy is excited to reconnect with the people of Austin, and we are committed to doing so safely and responsibly,” said NAVCO’s director, Cmdr. John Fage. “Our Navy Week in Austin will allow us to show everyone what their Navy does for them and why having a strong Navy is critical to the American way of life. We are excited to continue connecting with the communities we belong to and serve and are looking forward to a great Navy Week.”
Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort into areas of the country without a significant Navy presence, with over 260 Navy Weeks held in more than 85 different U.S. markets. Austin is the tenth Navy Week in 2021.
“During a Navy Week, we coordinate about 75 outreach events with corporate, civic, government, education, media, veterans, community service and diversity organizations in the city,” said NAVCO Navy Week program manager Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Chambers. “The 2021 schedule is exciting for us. We’ll be in several brand-new markets, as well as returning to communities like Austin.”
For more information on 2021 Navy Weeks, visit http://outreach.navy.mil. For more information on Austin Navy Week, visit https://outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks-2021/Austin/ or contact Lt. Ian McConnaughey at (901) 229-5709 or ian.mcconnaughey@navy.mil or Lt. Joel Borrelli-Boudreau at (443) 223-6613 or joel.l.borrelliboudreau.mil@us.navy.mil
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