Mayor Yemi Mobolade and several city leaders kicked off Navy Week by welcoming a contingent of visiting active-duty sailors to Colorado Springs in a brief ceremony at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum Monday.
Spearheaded by the Navy’s Office of Community Outreach, each year the Navy Week program focuses on 12-15 U.S. cities that don’t have a significant Navy presence, officials said.
The object, according to Vice Adm. John Fuller, is to inform citizens on some of the lesser-known aspects of what the seagoing service does, and why a strong Navy is vital to national and global security. “We live in an interconnected world where more than 90% of international trade moves across the ocean, and 95% of the data moves through undersea cables,” Fuller said on Monday.
“Imagine if that wasn’t available to you.” Dozens of active-duty sailors from across the U.S.
, including several from Colorado, will give in-person demonstrations, performances, and talk with residents about the uniqueness of the seagoing lifestyle, officials said. At Monday’s kickoff, several sailors were in attendance from the Centennial State’s two namesake ships: USS Colorado, a nuclear-powered submarine; and USS Mesa Verde, an amphibious transport ship. “There’s not a huge Navy footprint here in Colorado, so this is a unique opportunity,” said Lt.
Jeremy Luallen, who is stationed on the Mesa Verde. “I’m excited about it.” Mobolade, who participated in a naval leadership training program similar to ROTC in his native Nigeria, mirrored Luallen’s enthusiasm for the outreach event.
“It gives me an opportunity, as Mayor of this proud military city, to learn more about the vital role the Navy plays in our nation’s security both at home and abroad,” he said. For at least two visiting sailors, Navy Week represents a homecoming of sorts. Chief Petty Officer Rory Erhardt and Petty Officer Second Class Jibreel Scott grew up in the Colorado Springs area.
“We don’t get to see this beautiful state as often as we would like to, but we want the community to know that we’re here to serve them,” said Erhardt, a graduate of Air Academy High School. “We protect and serve the entire U.S.
, not just the coasts and the oceans.” Being in a roomful of people in Navy dress whites, in a predominantly Air Force and Army town, felt “a little odd,” Erhardt said. “I’m stationed in Hawaii, and I’m surrounded by Navy uniforms there,” he said.
“But growing up here, I only remember seeing Air Force and Army uniforms. So this is a little odd, but in a good way.” Scott, who graduated from Discovery Canyon Campus High School, said he is looking forward to seeing family and helping to tell the Navy story.
“(Navy Week) is a great opportunity to show people in the community what we do, and I take it seriously,” he said. Mobolade read from a declaration officially proclaiming the week of Aug. 12 as Navy Week.
“Whereas the United States Navy is instrumental in ensuring the safety and security of $10.4 billion in annual exports from the state of Colorado, and whereas the citizens of Colorado Springs and the state of Colorado take great pride in supporting our namesake vessels,” the Mayor read in part. “Therefore, I, Yemi Mobolade, Mayor of Colorado Springs, and Randy Helms, President of City Council, do hereby proclaim Aug.
12 – Aug. 18 as United States Navy Week in Colorado Springs.” Since the program’s inception nearly 20 years ago, there have been more than 300 Navy Weeks in nearly 100 U.
S. locations, officials said..
