Sailors and civilians from the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) have spent hundreds of man hours reaching out to the local community during Navy Week Mississippi Gulf Coast that kicked off on April 1 with the celebration of the state bicentennial.

"We are excited to support this Navy Week celebration right here in our own backyard," says NAVOCEANO Commanding Officer Capt. Greg Ireton, "It's great to have the opportunity to showcase our capabilities and give back to the local community while celebrating the rich heritage of both our Navy and the great state of Mississippi our command calls home."

NAVOCEANO, operationally controlled by Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, exhibited at the bicentennial event, communicating to the public its mission to conduct worldwide oceanographic, hydrographic, bathymetric, geophysical and acoustic surveys using various platforms from the fleet of six T-AGS 60 Class ships to airborne coastal surveys aboard a DC-3 aircraft.

Personnel from NAVOCEANO and its collocated subordinate command, Fleet Survey Team (FST), volunteered to speak to elementary and middle school children throughout the week. The command's naval officers and enlisted personnel, alongside civilian oceanographers, physical scientists, geologists and engineers, have discussed their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers with hundreds of fourth through eighth grade students at various schools in Gulfport and Biloxi throughout the week.

Both NAVOCEANO and FST are based at Stennis Space Center, located about 40 miles west of Gulfport, which has been the center of the week's events.

NAVOCEANO, comprised of approximately 800 military, civilian and contractor personnel, uses a variety of platforms -- including ships, aircraft, satellite sensors, buoys and unmanned underwater vehicles -- to collect oceanographic and hydrographic data from the world's oceans.


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