USA: Navy Week El Paso 2011 Begins

Navy Week El Paso 2011 kicked off Oct. 17 as several Sailors from the Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) El Paso participated in a community relations event at the Center Against Family Violence.

The Navy Week program is designed to raise awareness about the Navy in areas that traditionally do not have a naval presence and include community relations events, Navy Week proclamations and media engagements with flag hosts and area Sailors.

“The whole goal is really just to highlight what … the young men and women currently serving do,” said Cmdr. Alex Ortiz, Naval Recruiting District (NRD) Phoenix executive officer and El Paso native. “It’s also a great opportunity for everyone in the city of El Paso to come out and show their support for these great young men and women making sacrifices every day.”

El Paso residents will have the opportunity to meet Sailors from the Blue Angels, NOSC El Paso, NRD Phoenix (which includes Naval Recruiting Station El Paso), as well as El Paso Navy Week’s Flag Host, Rear Adm. David A. Dunaway, commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force.

“We’ve got a variety of things, we’ve got a couple of proclamations with the city of El Paso and the county of El Paso,” said Ortiz. “We’re going to be visiting multiple high schools, doing multiple community events mostly with children, we’ve got some meetings with key members in El Paso and also the University of Texas at El Paso.”

This will also be an opportunity for the different Navy Week assets to accomplish their mission.

“Our purpose is to let America’s youth know about the Navy and the opportunities that the Navy provides for them as long as they stay in school and keep working hard,” said Ortiz. “It also gives us the opportunity to talk with local leaders on how they can continue to show support for the Navy and also how the Navy can help them and their goals.”

Every year the Navy hosts Navy Weeks in approximately 20 cities.

“We’re very excited to that this is the first ever Navy Week in El Paso,” said Ortiz. “It’s also the first time in 14 years that the Blue Angels are going to be here and I think it just provides a great opportunity for a multicultural society like El Paso to see the diversity that the Navy has to offer, and all the opportunities the Navy has to offer.

[mappress]
Source: navy, October 19, 2011