LA Fleet Week Returns with Arrival of Carl Vinson

LOS ANGELES – Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and Coast Guardsmen from ships, squadrons and military units will be in Los Angeles for the seventh Los Angeles Fleet Week, May 21-27.

The U.S. Navy ship, USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne, are participating in Los Angeles Fleet Week, as well as Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and Coast Guardsmen from military commands throughout Southern California.

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 1st Marine Division Band will perform concerts around the Los Angeles area throughout the week. For performance schedule, visit the LA Fleet Week website, http://www.lafleetweek.com

The Fleet arrived in Los Angeles Tuesday. Other participating military units will arrive Wednesday and Thursday, 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 24-27 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The ships will be open for tours from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to attend tours and interact with our military men and women, but 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 the ships 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