There are ten commissioned U.S. Navy aircraft carriers in the world. That means there are only ten active duty aircraft carrier executive officers, one of whom was able to return to his hometown of Austin during the city's Navy Week this month.

Capt. Cassidy Norman, executive officer of aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Austin native, Lake Travis High School and University of Texas graduate, made time to fly home from Truman's homeport in Norfolk, Virginia to participate in several Navy Week events. Events included high school visits, speaking with the Rotary of South Austin, swearing in future Sailors at Rodeo Austin and more.

Norman says he jumped at the opportunity to return home in a Navy-related capacity once he saw that Austin was hosting a Navy Week, especially given that large Navy bases are far from Central Texas.

"I was glad to see that we would have the opportunity to reach out to thank the Austin community for their support and to tell the story of the Navy -- how our Sailors are continuously executing important missions all over the world," he said.

Norman says his week was full of highlights. From speaking at area schools to being able to see family, he was pleased with the opportunity to visit his hometown.

"We were welcomed at schools and organizations all across the Austin area," he said. "I was very impressed with the questions from the Travis High School and Lake Travis High School students. Talking with these thoughtful and intelligent young men and women gave me confidence in our future."

"I was also impressed with the students from the University of Texas," he continued. "Students are taking advantage of many great programs in so many important areas of study, especially in science and engineering. The Navy looks for these types of individuals to lead the way in technological advancement of our Naval forces."

Norman also gave the Oath of Enlistment, a Navy tradition since 1775, to five future Sailors at Rodeo Austin in front of hundreds of rodeo fans.

"I'll never forget walking past horses and cows into the dirt arena in our Navy Service Dress Blue uniforms and being greeted enthusiastically by a friendly Texas crowd who seemed genuinely honored to have the chance to witness the moment five new Sailors were sworn in to begin their service to our nation," he said. "It was truly an inspiring moment."

It was the first time Norman had been able to make it home to Austin since 2011, when he led an F/A-18 flyover of a University of Texas football game, so he took the opportunity to bring his wife and two children home with him and see family. After visiting his wife's family in San Antonio, he got to spend some quality time with his mother and two sisters.

"One of my sisters, who is a firefighter in Austin, recently bought a house west of Austin that was built in 1874 as a stagecoach inn and stable," he said. "It's an amazing historical home with most of the original architecture. Of course we also stopped by her fire station close to Austin Bergstrom Airport. My family always enjoys seeing the fire trucks and engines and learning how the fire fighters operate to protect us all."

"At the end of the week, I teamed up with my mom, who owns a small business in Austin," he said. "We ordered a large meal that included some of the best brisket I've ever had from Franklin's Barbecue. My other sister, who works in Austin as a civil engineer, just bought a new house so we took the fantastic barbecue meal to their new home as a housewarming gift. Overall, it was a phenomenal trip and we feel blessed for this opportunity to come back to Texas."

Norman says that he was proud to see all the Sailors in his hometown.

"In all the years I spent in Austin, I never saw much of a Navy presence," he said. "Austin Navy Week was great because we had several Navy personnel in town from all over the U.S. representing many different ships, submarines and aircraft. I have always seen a larger Marine Corps and Air Force presence in Texas, so I was impressed by the large number of Naval Officers and Sailors in town for the week, as well as the friendliness and patriotism of the people we encountered."

Norman says he has a deep appreciation and fondness for the city of Austin, and Texas as a whole.

"The culture and beautiful lakes and rolling hills make Austin like no other city," he said. "Austin is traditional and friendly; and at the same time weird and artistic, with an impressive local music scene that has always been impressive. Such an energetic and vibrant community in the heart of a proud Texas makes Austin completely unique."

He notes that the city keeps growing, but is proud that Austin has maintained its unique spirit.

"Over my lifetime, the spirit of Austin has not changed much, but the city has certainly grown," he said. "My high school had about 400 students in 1988. Today the same school has over 2,800 students. I remember as a child when we moved away from Austin for a few years, my parents said Austin is great, but it is growing too fast. That was 1973. Austin has continued to grow over the decades and is one of the fastest growing large cities in the U.S. Unfortunately, there is also more traffic in Austin today, but the city hasn't yet lost its personality or charm."

Having been born in Austin, and spending a majority of his younger life and college years here, he's appreciative of what his hometown provided him.

"Over the years, I have grown to more fully appreciate Austin's sense of community," he said. "In my many years of service, the best performing ships and squadrons are those that also have a sense of community, just like Austin. They're a group of people with a unique identity who are kind and inclusive of others and take great pride in their organization."

"In 23 years of Naval service, I have lived in 14 cities and have visited 33 large cities in 23 countries across the world," said Norman. "Compared to all the other places I've been, Austin is unique in that it has a great personality, people are friendly and there is an expectation of common courtesy. "

Norman's leadership and experiences in the Navy allows him to draw rather broad parallels between his hometown and how the military can be successful.

"Sailors in squadrons with a sense of community tend to make better decisions and perform better overall," he said. "I am not surprised Austin continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. just like the ships and squadrons with great reputations, people want to be a part of a strong community. That's why I believe Austin is so popular. It's all about the community. It was wonderful to spend a few days in my hometown community while proudly representing my professional community, the U.S. Navy and the great warship USS Harry S. Truman."

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