NEW: Sequester Navy Budget Cuts Cancel RI’s Blue Angels, Navy Week
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The Blue Angels will be absent from RI skies this year, owing to sequestration-levied budget cuts to the Navy. Photo: Jon Sullivan/Wikipedia
The appearance of the elite flying team is a highlight for many in Rhode Island, and Navy summer activities beloved by many will be missed as well.
The 2013 Navy Week season was to include 18 cities: Savannah, Ga.; Tampa, Fla.; San Antonio; Bossier-Shreveport, La.; Jackson, Miss.; Little Rock, Ark; Rockford, Ill; Indianapolis; Providence, R.I.; Pittsburgh; Minneapolis; Fargo, N.D.; Kansas City, Mo.; Salt Lake City; Oklahoma City; Albuquerque, N.M.; Dallas; and Raleigh, N.C.
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The Navy Week program can best be described by its slogan: Bringing America’s Navy Home. With the Navy largely concentrated on both coasts, Navy Weeks are designed to show Americans living throughout the country the investment they have made in their Navy, and its role in preserving the nation’s security and prosperity.
A typical Navy Week -- around 20 of which are conducted each year -- brings a wide array of sailors and equipment to an American city for one week. These may include the Blue Angels, the Navy Parachute Team (the Leap Frogs), Navy bands, divers, construction units (SEABEES), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Teams, namesake ship crews, hometown sailors, Navy medical personnel, historical displays and artifacts, interactive displays and simulators, and senior Navy leaders. Since 2005, 148 Navy Weeks have been conducted in 62 different cities nationwide.
