It is Navy Week in Albuquerque, and dozens gathered at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial to formally kick off the weeklong series of community engagements that will take place through Sept. 18, bringing the U.S. Navy directly to people and organizations throughout the city.

The ceremony included a formal proclamation by Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry; an address by senior Navy official Rear Admiral Phillip Sawyer, deputy commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet; USS Constitution's color guard; and performances by the Navy Band. Also in attendance were Sailors currently stationed aboard Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Albuquerque (SSN 706), and representatives from Navy Medicine, Albuquerque's Navy Recruiting District, and Navy Operational Support Center Albuquerque.

The crowd included veterans and family members who served in the Navy, as well as several from the Air Force and Army.

"I am proud of what Albuquerque has built here," says Roger Newall, a decorated Vietnam veteran who currently serves as the Constituent Services Liaison for Veterans Affairs in the Office of the Mayor. "We work at every turn to improve quality of life for our city's veterans and to honor their service, whether that's through creating a job that focuses on veterans, like mine; expanding our Veterans Affairs card-transportation access initiative; or maintaining this beautiful Veterans Memorial."

The crowd in attendance echoed the sense of pride in their city.

"It's good to see more military uniforms in Albuquerque, and I'm excited to go to as many Navy Week events as I can," shared a Navy veteran in attendance who enlisted in 1942, served on a variety of ships, and prefers to remain anonymous.

Navy Weeks provide area residents an opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity. Outreach events involve corporate, civic, government, education, media, veterans, community service, and diversity organizations throughout the city.

Albuquerque is one of 15 cities selected to host a Navy Week in 2016. Since 2005, Navy Weeks have served as the Navy's signature outreach effort into areas of the country without a robust Naval presence, and has held more than 180 Navy Weeks in 68 different U.S. cities.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil/, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy/ or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy/.

For more information, visit http://www.outreach.navy.mil/.