The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21) arrives for Fleet Week Port Everglades April 29, 2019.

Fleet Week provides Sailors and civilians the opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the Navy and the community. 

Sailors will be involved in multiple community outreach projects including visits to the Joe Di Maggio Children’s Hospital and various schools in the Broward County area.

The ship’s Chaplain and coordinator for the projects, Lt. Anthony Pelc, is particularly looking forward to getting involved. “It is great when the Navy requires you to do something that’s fun and makes an impact on individuals,” he said. “We’re hoping to walk away making new relationships and some great memories.”

The Sailors will also be able to participate in other events such as a tour of Hard Rock Stadium, a Miami Marlins game, and the Take a Hero Fishing event. There will also be opportunities for public ship tours all week long, with the intention to give those outside the Navy the ability to see what a typical day aboard a warship is like.

“One purpose is to allow for the people who pay for these vessels to come take a walk around and see what life is like for us on a day to day basis, but it’s also a chance to meet the actual Navy, that’s the people behind the uniform,” said Command Master Chief Ben Hodges. “Without the Sailors, ships are just big gray pieces of machinery.”

The coordinator for the Fleet Week aboard New York, Fire Control Officer Lt. j.g. Joshua Sexton, is also looking forward to the impact New York will have on the visitors.

“People don’t realize what Sailors go through on a daily basis out to sea,” he said. “They can now see the sweat in the nonskid, the excitement, and passion that these Sailors have for the mission.”

New York, homeported in Mayport, Florida, is going through a sustainment phase in preparation for a future deployment. This is the first of two Fleet Weeks that New York will participate in this year following their recent participation in Navy Week Miami in late March.

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For more news from USS New York (LPD 21), visit www.navy.mil/.