U.S. ships to participate in Los Angeles Fleet Week

LOS ANGELES – Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and Soldiers from several ships, squadrons and military units will be in Los Angeles for the fifth Los Angeles Fleet Week, May 23-29.

Three U.S. Navy ships – USS Princeton (CG-59), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, USS Ashland (LSD-48), a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship, USS Cincinnati (LCS-20), an Independence-class littoral combat ship, and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne (WPC 1131) are participating in Los Angeles Fleet Week, as well as Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and Coast Guardsmen from military commands throughout Southern California.

Forces and assets from Explosive Ordnance Group One; Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE; Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron 11; Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 35; Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 41; Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 71; Navy History and Heritage Command; Navy Munitions Command; Navy Talent Acquisition Group Pacific; U.S. Naval Academy; Navy Region Southwest; U.S. Army National Training Center, Fort Irwin; U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach; U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command; 5th Battalion, 11th Marines; 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines; 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion; 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines; Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161; Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369; 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion; 1st Marine Logistics Group; 7th Engineer Support Battalion; and 1st Medical Battalion will also be participating in Fleet Week.

Los Angeles Fleet Week offers the public an opportunity to take a tour of the ships and meet service members as they showcase the ships’ capabilities. It also gives the public a chance to gain a better understanding of how the sea services support the national defense of the United States and freedom of the seas.

Throughout the week, service members will have an opportunity to interact with the local community, while participating in a number of community relations projects and a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) exposition.

As part of this outreach effort, Navy Band Southwest and the Marine Band San Diego will perform concerts around the Los Angeles area throughout the week. For performance schedule, see the LA Fleet Week website, http://www.lafleetweek.com

The Fleet will begin to arrive in Los Angeles Tuesday, May 23. The public will have the opportunity to tour the ships and meet Sailors, Soldiers, Marines and Coast Guardsmen at the Port of Los Angeles May 26-29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Our ships will be open for tours from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. You are encouraged to attend tours and interact with our military men and women, but your patience is requested as interest is always high; lines and wait times can be long, especially later in the day. It is not possible to guarantee everyone will be able to get a tour.

All visitors and media will require an escort within the security perimeter at the pier and on board the ships at all times. When arriving for public tours, visitors are strongly recommended to wear flat-heeled, closed-toe shoes and are encouraged to bring as few items as possible. Visitors are subject to search prior to entering the security zone, and will be required to present a photo ID and pass through an airport-style security screening checkpoint prior to boarding the ships. Media should be prepared to present two forms of ID: one showing their affiliation and one government-issued photo identification.

Prohibited items aboard include the following:
- Food or drinks, including ice chests and coolers
- Pets (except service dogs for the disabled)
- Camera tripods and cameras with lenses greater than 100 mm
- Skateboards/bicycles/hover boards
- Gang related clothing
- Unmanned Aerial Systems
- Weapons, including knives, firearms and club weapons
- Defensive chemicals or sprays, including mace and pepper spray; spray cans of any type
- Fireworks, flammable liquids or other explosives
- Illegal drugs and drugs considered illegal at the federal level, including marijuana, and/or drug-related paraphernalia
- Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (e-cigs), and associated devices
- Large bags, including backpacks and large camera bags (small camera bags and small handbags may be permitted, but will be subject to search)
- Strollers