Dayton Navy Week brings Sailors from across the fleet to the area to emphasize the importance of the Navy to Dayton, the state of Ohio, and the nation
Participating Navy organizations include sailors from USS Ohio (SSGN 726), USS Stout (DDG 55), Fleet Weather Center Norfolk, U.S. Fleet Forces Band, Navy Talent Acquisition Group Ohio River Valley, USS Constitution, U.S. Fleet Forces, Naval History and Heritage Command, Nimitz Virtual Reality STEM Trailer, U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels and Office of Small Business Programs.
More than 50 Sailors will participate in education and community outreach events throughout the city and surrounding areas and conclude with a two-day performance by the Navy Blue Angels at the Dayton Air Show. All participating commands will follow DOD, CDC, state, and local guidelines for safety during the current pandemic.
The Navy's senior executive host is Rear Adm. John Spencer, commander, Submarine Group 10. During Dayton Navy Week, he will participate in community engagements and speak with local businesses, civic, education, and government leaders.
"I am honored to represent the Navy and happy to return to my hometown of Fairborn," said Spencer. "Ohio has a rich naval history, with an entire class of eighteen submarines named in her honor, and the light cruiser USS Dayton receiving a battle star for her service during World War II. We are also proud to say that our great state produced the first person to walk on the moon, Neil
Armstrong, a naval aviator who was from Wapakoneta, Ohio. It is a privilege to give back to the communities that support us and to provide an opportunity for members of this great state to learn more about their Navy."
Navy Weeks are a series of outreach events coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach designed to give Americans an opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity. 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, providing the public a firsthand look at why the Navy matters to cities like Dayton.
“This is a great opportunity to visit my hometown and state, the same place where I embarked on my naval career more than 35 years ago,” said Spencer. “It all started with my time at Fairborn High School, and I could not be prouder to be here representing your Navy.”
Dayton Navy Week is one of 13 Navy Weeks in 2022, which brings a variety of assets, equipment, and personnel to a single city for a weeklong series of engagements designed to bring America's Navy closer to the people it protects. Each year, the program reaches more than 140 million people -- about half the U.S. population.
Every Sailor selected to participate in Dayton Navy Week, except those with an approved waiver for health or religious reasons, will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The full schedule of events will be available on https://outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks-2022/Dayton-2022/, as well as on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NavyOutreach.
For more information on Dayton Navy Week, contact Mr. Isaiah Sellers at (901) 229-5631 or isaiah.sellers.civ@us.navy.mil.