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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Sept. 16, 2023) Members of the U.S. Navy parachute team the Leap Frogs perform during the 2023 NAS Oceana Air Show. The NAS Oceana Air Show is a chance for the Navy to give back to the community, showcasing Naval aviation to visitors from across the country and around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Megan Wollam)

230916-N-AC802-1138

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Sept. 16, 2023) Members of the U.S. Navy parachute team the Leap Frogs perform during the 2023 NAS Oceana Air Show. The NAS Oceana Air Show is a chance for the Navy to give back to the community, showcasing Naval aviation to visitors from across the country and around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Megan Wollam)

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Photo By: MC2 Megan Wollam

VIRIN: 230916-N-AC802-1138

Sailors from Pre-Commissioning Unit Harrisburg (LPD 30), the second namesake named after the capital, and USS Gettysburg (CG 64), will participate in events throughout the week, including the Harrisburg Navy Week proclamation ceremony and the Camp Hill and Gettysburg Memorial Day parades. There will also be public performances by U.S. Navy Band Northeast’s Brass Band and Woodwind Quintet, Navy Ceremonial Guard bayonet drill team from Washington, D.C., and demonstrations by the U.S. Navy Leap Frogs parachute team and the U.S Navy Blue Angels.

The Harrisburg Navy Week senior executive, Rear Adm. Eric Ver Hage, is native to Mechanicsburg, PA. He attended Mechanicsburg Area High School. Afterwards, he enlisted in the Navy in 1984 and served as an electronics technician until his appointment to the United States Naval Academy. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and spent the operational portion of his Navy career serving on a variety of Navy ships to include command of the USS CARR (FFG 52).

Ver Hage assumed duties as Military Deputy to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for International Armaments Cooperation on 30 July 2024. Previous flag officer assignments include Special Assistant to the Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, Commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Centers and Director, Surface Ship Maintenance, Modernization and Sustainment, and Commander, Naval Surface and Undersea Warfare Centers.

In addition to celebrating the United States, the Navy, and their 250^th anniversary during Harrisburg Navy Week, Rear Adm. Ver Hage and the Navy Office of Community Outreach have prioritized connecting with and celebrating those in the greater Harrisburg community who support and enable the Navy and its Sailors, either directly or indirectly, as they operate around the globe to protect America’s interests. 

On the subject of his assignment as the Harrisburg Navy Week senior executive nearly 42 years after his 1984 enlistment, Ver Hage said, “It’s an honor for me to return to my hometown after so many years away. I’m very thankful, both for the support I received from teachers, guidance counselors, and others during my childhood in Southcentral PA, and also for the strong and enduring community support for the Navy’s fleet, her Sailors, and their families.”

For more details on Harrisburg Navy Week, contact John Hankemeier at john.t.hankemeier.civ@us.navy.mil. Follow Navy Outreach on social media @NavyOutreach on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn, and connect using #NavyWeek.