NORFOLK, Va. (NewsNation) — The USS Bataan on Monday will start a 48-hour journey from Virginia to New York City for Fleet Week New York 2024.
Over 2,000 military personnel will participate in the weeklong celebration of the sea services.
Fleet Week celebrates those who serve at sea and allows residents of the tri-state area the opportunity to witness firsthand the capabilities of maritime service ships.
“Fleet Week’s just a great time to get out, see the communities that we support and defend all across the nation throughout the year,” Capt. Paul Burkhart, commanding officer of the USS Bataan, said Monday on “Morning in America.”
Those in attendance will also have the chance to meet sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen.
“It’s a great way to get sailors and Marines out to interact with the communities. For the communities to be able to see what the marines and sailors look like, to interact with them, and just to be able to thank them for the job that they do and the missions that we are pretty successful at,” Burkhart said.
Fleet Week begins Wednesday with the Parade of Ships in the New York Harbor.
“Fleet Week is just a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Petty Officer Christine Smith, who was named 2024 USS Bataan Sailor of the Year, told “Morning in America.”
Fleet Week runs through May 28.
