This summer, as Colorado Springs host the Navy’s Blue Angels for the first time in the 15-year history of the Pikes Peak Regional Airshow, several dozen active-duty sailors will visit the city in an effort to familiarize residents with the seagoing service.

The Navy Week program is setting sail for Colorado Springs beginning Aug. 12, according to officials from the Navy’s Office of Community Outreach.

“We would like people to know that this is not a recruiting event,” said lead planner Ens. Lamar Badger. “This is strictly an outreach visit to give Colorado Springs a chance to see who we are and what we do to serve and protect the U.S.”

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Established in 2005, each year the Navy Week program focuses on 12-15 U.S. cities that don’t have “a significant Navy presence,” Badger said.

Of the more than 35,000 active-duty personnel currently stationed in Colorado, fewer than 800 are in the Navy, according to data from the Bureau of Naval Personnel.

“The Navy has done surveys across the country, and what they’ve learned is that citizens along the coast understand what the Navy is, because they live near the water,” said Tommy Schield of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. “But more landlocked states aren’t as familiar with it.”

The Navy’s Office of Community Outreach — or NAVCO, for short — is coordinating with the Mayor’s office, the Chamber of Commerce and EDC, Pikes Peak United Way, as well as other corporations, civic and community service organizations, and local veterans, officials said.

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Between 50 and 75 active-duty sailors from across the U.S. will give in-person demonstrations, performances, and talk with residents about the uniqueness of the seagoing lifestyle, officials said. Members of the Navy Band, senior leaders with ties to the community, and sailors currently stationed aboard the Centennial State’s namesake ship — USS Colorado, a nuclear-powered submarine — will be on hand for the outreach effort.

“The Navy Week program allows us to showcase our Navy in places that don’t enjoy an everyday naval presence,” said Cmdr. Anthony Falvo, NAVCO’s director.

“Most importantly it affords us the opportunity to highlight our most important asset — the highly skilled men and women of the United States Navy who ensure our warfighting advantage to preserve our American way of life.”

Since the program’s inception nearly 20 years ago, there have been more than 300 Navy Weeks in nearly 100 U.S. locations, officials said.

“We’ve gotten really positive responses everywhere we’ve been,” Badger said. “And we’re looking forward to bringing a little piece of the Navy to Colorado Springs.”

For more information on Colorado Springs Navy Week, visit outreach.navy.mil.

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