Warships in Hollywood
Inaugural LA Fleet Week comes to a close
14 September 2016
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108), amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and 170 embarked Marines from I Marine Expeditionary Force, departed the Port of Los Angeles, Sept. 6, bringing the inaugural Los Angeles Fleet Week to a close.
LA Fleet Week ran from Aug. 30 - Sept. 5 and offered the public the opportunity to tour the ships and interact with Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen. Los Angeles previously hosted LA Navy Days which introduced the city to the Navy but didn't include ship tours and interaction with the service members in their work environment.
Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, said LA Fleet Week provided the community with a better understanding of how maritime forces operate and promoted a better understanding of how the sea services support national defense and freedom of the seas.
"The demands for a sea service that is ready and capable are only increasing. We will continue to train and deploy our Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen wherever they are needed to keep our nation safe and prosperous. For us, LA Fleet Week was an opportunity to connect these extraordinary, young service members with the communities they serve.
We greatly appreciate the incredible hospitality the Los Angeles community provided, as well as the opportunity to recognize and renew our strong ties with each other as friends and neighbors." Vice Adm. Nora Tyson
Throughout the week, Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen volunteered at numerous community service projects, including a local food pantry, a Habitat for Humanity build an animal shelter, a children's hospital and a veteran's home. They also hosted nearly 15,000 visitors for ship tours.
"It was an amazing opportunity to tour an actual Navy ship," said Fernando Torres, a Los Angeles native.
My dad was in the military, it felt good to see a glimpse of what he experienced when he was on a ship. I'm glad there's a Navy presence in Los Angeles and we have the chance to show these heroes all the city has to offer." -Fernando Torres
In addition to the ship tours and community service opportunities, Fleet Week also included a Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) Senior Leadership Seminar and tabletop exercise as well as a science, technology, engineering and math expo.
The mission of DSCA is to enhance coordination and cooperation between the U.S. military and civilian emergency management authorities, in the event of a catastrophic incident. STEM is an initiative and educational program designed to impassion students to pursue careers in these disciplines and provide them with opportunities for success in STEM fields.
U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Eastern Pacific from the West Coast of North America to the international date line and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global
Navy.
For more news about LA Fleet Week, visit
www.dvidshub.net/feature/losangelesfleetweek.
For more news from Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, visit
www.navy.mil/local/c3f/.