MIAMI – Fleet Week kicked off Sunday in Miami and we’re giving you a sneak peek of all of the exciting things you’ll be able to see this week.
Local 10′s Jenise Fernandez got a full tour of the USS Bataan as it headed into port.
In true military style, she arrived in an MH-60 Sierra helicopter as the USS Bataan was just off the coast of Miami.
The ship is massive, carrying about 2,600 men and women of the Navy and the Marines.
“What those sailors get to experience and delve right into the culture of Miami, meet the folks here, tell them what they do for a living. It’s so important,” Adm. Daryl Caudle, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces, said.
It’s ready for deployment at any moment. In fact, it just came back from an 8-month deployment in the Persian Gulf.
“The baton just came back from deployment, a 7+-month deployment on the ship, within an amphibious radius group and a marine expeditionary unit, who conducted operations in the Mediterranean, and in the Persian Gulf. So they were right in the thick of things,” Caudle said.
As part of Fleet Week, the crew onboard will spend the next seven days seeing the South Florida sights while also welcoming the public onboard to get a glimpse of life in the Navy.
“I love it, this is great,” said Jimmu Montana, who was aboard the ship on the first public tour offered on Monday. “And being in Miami, I have been her for 40 years, and having a show this size is awesome.”
The USS Bataan is a working ship, but it’s also where the sailors live, but now, they’re getting to stretch those sea legs.
“I am very anxious. I haven’t seen the family in over 10 months, so this will be the first time they’ve seen me in quite some time -- since last summer,” Chief Logistics Specialist Donald Eugene said.
Eugene is from North Miami. A graduate of Miami Dade College, he is looking forward to helping inspire the next generation.
“I don’t think there’s any job out there that’s gonna allow you to travel as much as we do on the government’s dime,” Eugene said.
And the same goes for Senior Chief Carlos Augusto Rivas, who has been with the Navy for 23 years. He was born in Nicaragua, but raised in Miami.
“I thought I wasn’t going to be able to do a lot, being an immigrant. The Navy opened doors that I never imagined I could open,” Rivas said.
Senior Chief Petty Officer Jonathan Graziano enlisted in the Navy after graduating from Coral Gables Senior High School.
“Being able to come back now after a little bit over 16 years has been a great opportunity, to just be one of the first ones to bring the inaugural fleet week to Miami,” he said. “To be able to showcase, not just only our capabilities, but also just how much pride of defending the country there is on board the USS Bataan.”
The men said they are grateful for the opportunities and excited to enjoy home.
“Just the warm weather and a little bit of Miami love,” Rivas said.
As for Eugene, he said he’s of Haitian decent and is looking forward to having one of his home country’s traditional dishes.
For public tours/tickets, visit https://fleetweekmiami.org/.