MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It's Navy Week in Memphis, and the week-long events will culminate with the Blue Angels headlining the Mid-South Air Show this Saturday, June 18.
The Navy Week program is returning to the Bluff City for the first time since 2017.
According to the Navy's Office of Community Outreach, Memphis Navy Week brings sailors from across the fleet to the area to emphasize the importance of the Navy to Memphis, the state of Tennessee, and the nation.
Participating Navy organizations include Navy Band Great Lakes, USS Constitution, the Navy Leap Frogs Parachute Team, and sailors from the submarine USS Tennessee.
More than 75 sailors will participate in education and community outreach events throughout the city, including a plethora of events hosted at the Museum of Science and History.
Here are some of the events scheduled this week:
Tuesday
- Navy Week Memphis officially kicks off with a free public concert at the Overton Park Shell by the Navy Band and a proclamation from the city presented by Mayor Strickland at 7 p.m. Rear Admiral Walker will be available for interviews as well as Sailors visiting the Bluff City from the USS Tennessee and USS Constitution.
Thursday
- The Navy Band will do a free public performance at Crosstown Concourse in the Central Atrium from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
- The commanding officer of the Navy Support Activity in Millington, Captain Mike Mosbruger, will be joined by Sailors from the USS Tennessee as honorary Duckmasters for the afternoon march of the Peabody Ducks at 5 p.m.
- Navy Week Memphis comes to the Redbirds game and AutoZone Park. The Navy’s Rock Band will be performing pre-game and the USS Constitution’s 1812 Color Guard will perform. Rear Admiral Walker will throw out the first pitch and the patriotic opener will feature a Navy vocalist singing the National Anthem.
- The Navy Leap Frogs will parachute onto the front lawn of the Pink Palace Mansion as part of Navy Days at MoSH! Jumps will happen at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Friday
- The Navy Band will do a free public performance at Crosstown Concourse in the Central Atrium from 5 - 7 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday
- The Navy Blue Angels will headline the Mid-South Airshow in Millington. In addition, other Navy units will be on site at the Millington airport offering Navy showcases and a virtual reality experience trailer called the Nimitz.
- The airshow will require closure of Veterans Parkway between Navy Rd. and Highway 51 to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic. For the safety of all spectators and airshow performers spectator viewing of the airshow along Veterans Parkway is strictly prohibited. Please follow directional signage for public access to the airshow and Millington Airport.
Navy leadership will be at the Memphis Museum of Science and History Wednesday and Thursday, showcasing the Nimitz, a mobile, state-of the-art virtual reality experience that simulates a high-speed extraction of Navy SEALS under fire.
Here's a preview of the experience, provided by the Navy:
Inside the Nimitz, which is housed in a massive 18-wheeler, participants go through a video briefing before strapping on an Oculus Rift headset and a piece of wearable technology called a SubPac (traditionally used by Club DJs) that percusses in real time to the sounds of the mission.
Participants navigate the mission using a steering wheel and throttle system that replicate the actual sensation of piloting a high-speed boat while extracting Navy SEALs. Once finished, participants move to the debriefing station, where they receive feedback and a performance grade.