Deputy Surgeon General, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Rear Adm. Terry Moulton, a Tennessee native, had the opportunity to serve as Flag host for Knoxville's Navy Week, which kicked off April 11.

The Flag officer's role during Navy Weeks is executive-level community outreach. The flag and team meet with university presidents, deans of colleges and local leaders such as mayors and heads of civic groups and non-profit organizations to discuss common interests the Navy has with the local population.

Moulton, who's from Nashville and whose wife hails from Knoxville, was given the option to choose among the 15 cities scheduled to host Navy Weeks in 2016 and jumped at the opportunity to return to Tennessee.

"East Tennessee has a great community, and it's been a great couple of days so far," said Moulton. "The people have rolled out the red carpets for us. They're very interested in what the Navy does. They all thank us for our service, and we say thank you back to them for their support of us."

Among many of his stops throughout the city, Moulton visited with Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, had breakfast with non-profit East Tennessee Military Affairs Council, and was given an extensive tour of the University of Tennessee and the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

"He has really made it his mission to see what the community is all about and has really done just a good job reaching out to everybody," said Patrice Collins, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce economic development assistant and board member for ETMAC. "He's welcomed Knoxville as much as Knoxville has welcomed him."

A career medical officer, Moulton was interested in finding overlaps between the Navy and the University of Tennessee and potential for forming future relationships.

"One of the things that the Chief of Naval Operations is interested in is partnerships," he said. "There are several things that the University of Tennessee is doing that we also do in the Navy, so there is opportunity for collaboration."

Sailors from several commands including Explosive Ordnance Mobile Unit 6, BUMED, USS Constitution, USS Tennessee, Navy Operational Support Center Knoxville and U.S Navy Band Great Lakes have been visiting schools and community organizations promoting the Navy and giving science, technology, engineering and mathematics demonstrations. Knoxville's Navy Week will continue through April 17.

The Navy Week program is designed to raise awareness about the Navy in areas across the country that traditionally do not have a naval presence, and to bring America's Navy closer to the people it protects through community relations projects, speaking engagements, science, technology, engineering, mathematics demonstrations and media interviews with flag hosts and local areas Sailors.

"We're here to share the value of the Navy," said Moulton. "We want the communities here to know that we're on watch 24/7, patrolling the oceans of the world and protecting America's interests."