(Tribune News Service) — Navy Week is making its first appearance in Las Vegas this week, and local officials are offering visits to various sporting events to make the event more memorable.

Created in 2005, Navy Week allows for officials and sailors to visit cities to educate residents about what the Navy offers and how it benefits communities, even when an area is not viewed as a traditional Navy city.

The event kicked off Sunday with sailors attending the Raiders-Pittsburgh Steelers game at Allegiant Stadium and the Golden Knights-Anaheim Ducks game at T-Mobile Arena later that evening.

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 bunch of the Navy sailors to the Raiders game, which was fantastic for our folks,” said Rear Adm. Joaquin J. Martinez de Pinillos, reserve deputy director of maritime operations, U.S. Pacific Fleet. “They really pulled out the red carpet and got us down on the field. They did a salute to service.”

Martinez de Pinillos took part in a panel discussion Tuesday put on by the Las Vegas Host Committee, where he was joined by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill, and Jeremy Aguero, principal with Applied Analysis. The panel focused on Las Vegas booming as a sports city, how the Navy affects Nevada and other innovative initiatives the city and Navy are focusing on to ensure both are strong in the future.

Sailors out and about

The sailors in attendance for Sunday’s Golden Knights game were interacting with game attendees, sharing their experience with being in the Navy.

“Our sailors were out in the crowd, and everybody was asking them questions about their experience and what they’ve done,” Martinez de Pinillos said. “Which is perfect for this kind of event, because we really want to get the Navy’s story out to everyone, so you can see what the value of Navy service is and what your Navy is doing 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 with a usual Navy Week lineup.

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

Aside from attending the various sporting events, the Navy will be taking part in events across the city, with sailors participating in education and community outreach events. From receiving a proclamation for Navy Week from the Clark County Commission, to planting trees in the community, to visiting area schools such as Clark High School, the week is a busy one.

Navy’s Silver State presence

“We met with 300-400 students yesterday and had a great opportunity to talk to them about what the Navy is, what the life of service is all about,” Martinez de Pinillos said. “What the Navy is doing for them as a community, but also here locally in terms of how we are interacting with the community and making better sailors and citizens through our programs such as junior ROTC.”

Although many don’t immediately think of Las Vegas or Nevada when the Navy comes to mind, Martinez de Pinillos said the Navy has a presence in the Silver State with the Naval Air Station located in Fallon, where high-end warfare training occurs.

After the Great Recession, Southern Nevada helped to bolster Northern Nevada for a while, but the economy soon improved significantly, Hill said. The naval base has played a role in that, he said.

“That’s really turned around,” Hill said. “The economy in Northern Nevada is more than self-sufficient at this point. Fallon is a big part of that. Fallon is thriving, that region is thriving because of that base, frankly.”

The Navy’s service also ensures that the importing and exporting of goods with Nevada can be successfully shipped throughout the world.

“The biggest thing we do is secure the maritime lanes of communication, which is what allows the free flow of commerce,” Martinez de Pinillos said. “So when you have a Raiders game or Golden Knights game you have an ability to bring in all the products you need to make that work, because a lot of that comes from outside of the United States. Or for Nevada itself, we help guarantee the export of $11 billion worth of materials out of Nevada.”

Twenty ships have been named after the state or cities within Nevada over the course of the Navy’s history.

“One of them (is) actually out there right now, the USS Nevada, which is doing strategic deterrence as a nuclear armed ballistic missile submarine,” Martinez de Pinillos said. “So we’re super proud of those efforts.”

makers@reviewjournal.com @mickakers

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