Thousands of Navy Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen are descending on South Florida for Miami's first Fleet Week.
After dropping anchor in Port Everglades for decades, the event has moved to south with more than 200 events planned through Sunday.
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After an eight-month deployment to the Middle East and Mediterranean, USS Bataan Commanding Officer Captain Paul Burkhart says the crew is rested and excited. "Now we're ready to get back to the mission of showing the Big 5 off to the world, and it's great that we're able to do it in a new place like Miami as our first stop."
Along with the amphibious assault ship, the guided missile cruisers USS Leyte Gulf and USS Normandy will be in port as will the USCGC Senica. The nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman will anchor several miles off Miami Beach. It will not be available to free public tours, but its sailors will participate in events.
Captain Burkhart says it'll be hard to miss the sailors when they're on the mainland. "We are going to have the sailors wear their summer white uniforms while they're out on liberty that way people can hopefully see the sailors and interact with the sailors."
He admits part of the mission of Fleet Week is to get the Navy out in the public and recruit, but when it comes to how the public can show appreciation, "We join the military because we have a purpose of service. Just receiving a 'thank you' for that is, I think, is the highlight that I get if I'm out and about in uniform."