Navy Week in the Twin Cities is an interesting notion nearly 1300 miles from the nearest coastal Navy base, and that's the point of bringing Sailors to Middle America.

Twin Cities Navy Week is scheduled for July 17-23 and will include the following events:

- Navy Band Great Lakes "Horizon" will perform 10 concerts.
- Divers with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 1 will swim with the fishes at Sea Life Aquarium.
- The Navy Parachute Team, the "Leap Frogs," will jump into Hazel Park and Schwan's USA Cup.
- Navy representatives will be at the Minnesota Twins and St. Paul Saints baseball games.

There will also be many events supported by Sailors from Navy Operational Service Center Minneapolis and Navy Recruiting District Minneapolis.

These are the culmination of planning and preparation over many months by the Navy Office of Community Outreach, multiple Navy assets and state leaders.

"We have been planning Twin Cities Navy Week since the beginning of 2017," said Lt. Davis Anderson, lead planner, Twin Cities Navy Week. "There have been more than 10 commands and over 100 Sailors involved in the planning of this eight-day event."

The primary purpose of Navy Week is to increase Navy awareness by showcasing the Navy to Americans who live in cities that normally do not have a significant naval presence. It is also a way for Sailors to reach out to America's heartland and give back to communities that support them.

"We're honored that Minneapolis is one of just 14 cities chosen to host a Navy Week this year, even though we're definitely more lakeside here than we are seaside," said Minneapolis Mayor Elizabeth "Betsy" Hodges. "This is a great opportunity for everyone in our area to learn about the Navy, the work Sailors do across the globe, and their important role in national security for all of us, regardless of region."

Rear Adm. Frederick J. "Fritz" Roegge, commander, submarine force, U. S. Pacific Fleet, and Ms. Jodi Greene, deputy undersecretary of the Navy, both Minnesota natives, are the flag hosts of Twin Cities Navy Week.

Despite her busy travel schedule and work in Washington, D.C., Greene maintains strong ties to Northfield. She remains close to her family where they maintain a residence in her hometown.

"The goal of the Navy Week program is to share the Navy's story with people across the country," said Anderson. "It is my mission to make sure that after Navy Week, everyone in Minneapolis/St. Paul knows that the Navy protects and defends America on the oceans around the world, around the clock."

As a testament to the prominence of the Twin Cities, a second USS Minneapolis/St. Paul littoral combat ship (LCS 21) is currently under construction in Marinette, Wisconsin.
For more information visit http://www.outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks/Minneapolis-St-Paul/


For more news from Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO), visit http://www.navy.mil/.

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