Navy Week begins in Savannah

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Walk around Savannah this week and you might see a military uniform you don’t often see around here - the Navy.

Sailors from across the Navy are visiting this week. They’re making our community the newest stop on a national tour.

Last week, WTOC’s Dal Cannady spent a few days with sailors aboard one of the Navy’s most important vessels and shows us a glimpse into their world and why they’re eager to visit us.

Whether I was on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier watching fighter jets take off and land, or below deck in the heart of the ship, it’s impossible not to see the ship as a bustling airport at sea.

It is sailors like these who request and apply to be part of Navy Week projects through the year. This week, nearly 100 sailors will cross Savannah as their newest Navy Week city.

“We go to places that don’t have a normal Navy presence, maybe inland areas that don’t get the chance to interact with us. So, it’s a great opportunity for us to meet those who support us,” USS Nimitz MCC Ty Connors said.

Whether they fly the fighter jets, maintain them, or work to keep the Nimitz or other ships moving, the sailors picked for Navy Week represent some of the best and brightest among 350,000 officers and sailors - some from among this massive ship and its staff.

The staff for this ship includes 3,000 sailors living and working in this space at sea.

Connors says sailors view Navy Week as an opportunity and less of a chore as they get to visit new places and represent their branch of the service.

“We do community relations events out in the community, help volunteer, bring some extra strong backs that are used to some hard labor and will roll up their sleeves and do some good,” Connors said.

He says Navy Week also shows communities that the life of sailors and pilots extends even beyond defending the nation at sea.

Copyright 2022 WTOC. All rights reserved.