Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Jacob Sippel | FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (May 1, 2022) - U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Menoni, commander,...... read more read more
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (May 1, 2022)— Fleet Week Port Everglades officially kicked off its festivities with an All Hands on Deck Welcoming Party and Concert featuring Sailors, Coast Guardsmen and sea cadets at the Las Olas Oceanside Park.
Two U.S. Navy destroyers, the USS Lassen (DDG 82) and USS Delbert Black (DDG 119) along with U.S. Coast Guard District Seven participated.
“It’s great to be able to continue this tradition, especially after three years off,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Menoni, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Two. “Besides the great beaches and food, this is an opportunity for our Sailors to connect with the local population, to share stories. It’s an opportunity for the public to tour our ships and meet the men and women of the U.S. Navy, who will soon be at sea over the horizon in harm’s way, protecting us from our adversaries.”
Menoni, along with U.S. Navy Capt. Gregory Smith, chief of staff, Navy Region Southeast, and U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Brendan McPherson, commander, Seventh Coast Guard District, gave remarks to those in attendance.
“This is a way to give back to our community,” explained Smith. “When us Sailors are truly at work, we’re at sea for weeks or months at a time. So to be back here in Fort Lauderdale for Fleet Week, it’s special. This is our chance to really connect with the people of South Florida.”
Also in attendance were Broward County Mayor Michael Udine, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, and Fort Lauderdale Vice Mayor Ben Sorensen, who all provided the distinguished guests keys to the city of Fort Lauderdale.
“We’re so excited to have Fleet Week back here in Fort Lauderdale,” said J.W. Arnold, executive director, Broward Navy Days. “We’re so proud to host the tremendous men and women of the armed forces here with us this week, and we’re looking forward to a fantastic week of activities.”
The event ended with “roll call.” Each participating unit stood in formation and yelled a “spirit call” representing their ship. The Coast Guard proudly yelled “Honor, Respect, Devotion to Duty, Semper Paratus.” USS Lassen yelled, “From Courage, Life,” and Delbert D. Black’s roll call was, “Trailblazing Ain’t Easy.”
Fleet Week Port Everglades has been hosted by Broward Navy Days and other military support organizations since 1990. It provides an opportunity of the citizens of South Florida to witness first-hand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime servces, and gain a better understanding of how the sea services support maritime strategy and national defense of the U.S.
More information on events and activities may be found by visiting https://browardnavydaysinc.org/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FleetWeekPortEverglades.
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2022 11:38 |
| Story ID: | 419741 |
| Location: | FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 513 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fleet Week Kicks Off with an All Hands Welcoming, by PO1 Jacob Sippel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
