The City of San Francisco recently announced Fleet Week’s welcome return to the Bay Area. The event will run from October 6 to October 13.
The Navy’s Blue Angels will be back to dazzle spectators with their thrilling high performance maneuvers over San Francisco Bay. They will perform a full air show on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 10-12 from 12:30-4 p.m. each day. Photo by Joel Williams
BC Staff Report
Published: October, 2014
The City of San Francisco recently announced Fleet Week’s welcome return to the Bay Area. The event will run from October 6 to October 13.
Fleet Week became an annual event in 1981, with millions of residents and visitors celebrating San Francisco’s long history of naval service and maritime tradition, but last year’s Fleet Week activities were cancelled by the federal government shutdown. This year’s events will include the return of the Blue Angels airshow and the Parade of Ships, and will also feature the commissioning of the Navy’s newest ship, the USS America.
“San Francisco is a city that welcomes and salutes our service members in the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “Fleet Week is not only a time when we pay tribute to our women and men in uniform, but it is also an opportunity to improve the way we provide humanitarian assistance and educate ourselves about disaster preparedness.”
The Navy’s Blue Angels will be back to dazzle spectators with their thrilling high performance maneuvers over San Francisco Bay. They will perform a full air show on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 10-12 from 12:30-4 p.m. each day.
On Friday, October 10 at 11 a.m., the Fleet Week Parade of Ships will sail into the San Francisco Bay beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. The USS America, the lead ship of America-class amphibious assault ships, will be commissioned on Saturday, October 12. Many of the participating ships will be available for public tours from Saturday, October 11 through Monday, October 13.
“The Navy is proud to have a strong relationship with the City of San Francisco,” said Rear Admiral Patrick Piercey, commander of Carrier Strike Group Nine. “We look forward to our ships and sailors returning for Fleet Week this year so everyone in the Bay Area can see their Navy first hand.”
As Fleet Week has grown, so has its mission. Since 2010, Fleet Week has helped local first responders and military servicemembers prepare for and respond to emergencies. Joint activities include urban search and rescue training, medical trauma training and a senior leaders seminar. As a precursor to Fleet Week, more than 150 officials from federal, state and local governments and the military took part in an interactive tabletop training exercise in September focused on military support in response to a theoretical magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas Fault.
“Our road to recovery begins long before the ground starts shaking,” said Anne Kronenberg, executive director of San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management. “Fleet Week exercises encourage us to work together so we can quickly restore services critical to getting San Francisco back on its feet.”
The United States Navy Third Fleet and First Marine Expeditionary Force are also sending units to the San Francisco Bay Area for Fleet Week. In addition to exercising with local first responders, sailors and marines learn valuable skills that they apply when the United States responds to disasters around the globe.
“We are only a small part of a much larger picture. Everyone from the City to the State of California to FEMA have worked closely together to prepare for the next big earthquake. However, we know we bring a unique and powerful capability to the people of San Francisco in the event of a disaster,” said Brigadier General Joaquin F. Malavet, commanding general of the First Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
During Fleet Week, a variety of family-oriented special events will be staged along the waterfront from PIER 39 to Marina Green. The Marina Green will host the “humanitarian assistance village,” which will demonstrate the Marines’ ability to support the Bay Area and the world in response to natural disasters.
“Fleet Week is the most important fun you’ll have all year,” said Executive Director Lewis Loeven of the San Francisco Fleet Week Association. “We’re excited to bring this family-friendly event back to the San Francisco Bay Area.”
For more information and a complete list of the events, visit fleetweeksf.org.
Portions of the Blue Angels’ performance are just feet over the water of San Francisco Bay. Photo by Joel Williams
PIER 39 offers unobstructed views of the Fleet Week Air Show.
