Navy Week sails to Las Vegas for the first time | Local Las Vegas

Navy Week is taking place in Las Vegas for the first time this week and local officials are offering visits to various sporting events to make the event more memorable.

Established in 2005, Navy Week provides an opportunity for officers and sailors to visit cities to educate residents about the Navy’s offerings and benefits to communities, even if an area is not considered a traditional Navy town.

The event began Sunday with Sailors in attendance at the Raiders-Pittsburgh Steelers game at Allegiant Stadium and later that evening at the Golden Knights-Anaheim Ducks game at T-Mobile Arena.

The week also includes stops at the Professional Bull Riders Championship Series, the South Point 400 race and the Shriners Children’s Open.

“They brought a group of Marines to the Raiders game, which was fantastic for our people,” said Rear Adm. Joaquin J. Martinez de Pinillos, deputy reserve director for maritime operations, U.S. Pacific Fleet. “They really rolled out the red carpet and got us on the field. They appreciated the service.”

Martinez de Pinillos participated in a Las Vegas Host Committee panel discussion Tuesday that included Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and Jeremy Aguero, director at Applied Analysis. The panel focused on Las Vegas’ boom as a sports city, the Navy’s impact on Nevada and other innovative initiatives the city and Navy are focusing on to ensure both are strong in the future.

Sailors on the move

Sailors in attendance at Sunday’s Golden Knights game interacted with gamegoers and shared their experiences in the Navy.

“Our sailors were out in the crowd and everyone was asking them questions about their experiences and what they did,” Martinez de Pinillos said. “This is perfect for this type of event because we really want to bring Navy history to everyone so you can see the value of the Naval Service and what your Navy does for you.”

With the added eyes of tens of thousands of people at the various sporting events, Martinez de Pinillos said it helps amplify their message compared to a usual Navy Week lineup.

“Vegas has really done a great job for us with Navy Week and allowing us to participate in this amazing sports and entertainment complex they have built,” Martinez de Pinillos said.

In addition to participating in the various sporting events, the Navy will participate in events throughout the city, with Sailors participating in educational and community outreach events. From receiving a Navy Week proclamation from the Clark County Commission to planting trees in the community and visiting area schools like Clark High School, it’s a busy week.

Navy Silver State presence

“We met with 300 to 400 students yesterday and had a great opportunity to talk to them about what the Navy is and what service life is about,” Martinez de Pinillos said. “What the Navy does for them as a community, but also here locally in terms of how we interact with the community and develop better Sailors and citizens through our programs like Junior ROTC.”

Although many don’t immediately think of Las Vegas or Nevada when they think of the Navy, Martinez de Pinillos said the Navy has a presence in the Silver State with the Naval Air Station in Fallon, where world-class warfare training takes place.

For a time after the Great Recession, Southern Nevada helped strengthen Northern Nevada, but the economy soon improved significantly, Hill said. The naval base played a role, he said.

“It’s really changed,” Hill said. “Northern Nevada’s economy is currently more than self-sufficient. Fallon is a big part of that. Fallon is thriving, this region is thriving, quite frankly, because of that base.”

The Navy’s service also ensures that Nevada import and export goods can be successfully shipped around the world.

“The most important thing we do is secure the maritime lines of communication that allow the free flow of trade,” Martinez de Pinillos said. “So if you have a Raiders or Golden Knights game, you have the opportunity to bring in whatever product you need to make that work because a lot of it comes from outside the United States. Or for Nevada itself, we are helping to ensure the export of $11 billion worth of materials from Nevada.”

Throughout the history of the Navy, twenty ships have been named after the state or cities in Nevada.

“One of them is actually out there right now, the USS Nevada, providing strategic deterrence as a nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine,” Martinez de Pinillos said. “That’s why we’re very proud of these efforts.”

Contact Mick Akers at [email protected] or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X