U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Thomas Ishee, Deputy Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike, and his staff visited with Port Authority leadership Oct. 17 for Houston Navy Week.

The Navy Week program is an annual outreach effort in various cities throughout the United States and is designed to bring awareness and educate communities and leaders in areas outside of their fleet concentration. The tour brings sailors, equipment and displays to approximately 15 American cities each year.

The outreach opportunity allows for the Navy to engage with others about the organization’s impacts related to the country’s economy. The week consists of an agenda of community events, including hospital and school visits.

The Port Authority provided an overview and presentation regarding port operations, commercial trade and security. “We are a unique port in that we have multiple facilities where our role ranges from performing as the operator or serving as the landlord,” said Jeff Davis, PHA Chief Port Operations Officer.

While there is not a large Navy presence in the region locally, Houston has a strong connection with the military branch historically due to the Texas Gulf Coast. Reporting under the U.S. Department of Defense, the Navy was built to ensure uninterrupted commerce, noted Ishee.