The White House confirmed that an event honoring the 250th Anniversary of the Navy is scheduled to go ahead Sunday.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary John Phelan are expected. Sources including the Washington Post say President Donald Trump is also scheduled to attend.
It was originally scheduled for Friday, but the event was moved to Sunday at 3 p.m. Organizers cited weather as the reason.
Few details have been made public about the event at pier 14 at Naval Station Norfolk. Titled “America’s Navy 250 Titans of the Sea: A Salute to the Fleet” the event has not been listed with other Navy events scheduled in other parts of the country around the Navy’s 250 birthday on Oct. 13.
Workers connected to the Navy in the Hampton Roads region have received requests to attend.
“This once-in-a-generation event will honor the Navy’s unmatched record of victory at sea, showcase its cutting-edge fleet, and inspire the next generation of warriors to carry America’s strength across every ocean,” according to a release from America’s Navy 250.
The celebration will take place as other Navy public events have been curtailed after the government shutdown.
Military public affairs offices have stopped posting regularly to social media sites. The press was turned away from the establishment ceremony for Naval Support Activity Portsmouth on the day the shutdown took effect Wednesday. The media will not be able to attend the homecoming for USS Truxtun Monday. The Navy has not announced whether Fleet Week at Naval Station Norfolk will go on as scheduled next weekend.
Some civilian workers have been furloughed. Other workers including active duty troops are working without pay, though a 2019 law requires federal workers to receive backpay once a shutdown ends.
