MILLINGTON, Tenn. – U.S. Navy sailors from across the fleet are headed to Arizona for Tucson Navy Week, Feb. 17 to 23, to volunteer in the community and discuss why the Navy matters to the Old Pueblo.
While many of the sailors are from all over the country, this Navy Week will carry special meaning for visiting sailors from the area, including Petty Officer 2nd Class Mason Bricker, a native of Tucson, Arizona.
Bricker graduated from Amphitheater High School in 2020, and upon joining the Navy Bricker quickly found that many of the skills and values forged in Tucson were the same as those needed to succeed in the Navy.
“Growing up, I moved around a lot, and the Navy is quite similar, so I learned how to adapt quickly to my environments,” Bricker said. “This allowed me to fit into any kind of situation I could be in.”
Bricker, who joined the Navy four years ago, is assigned to Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron (MSRON) 2.
“I was inspired to join the Navy by my grandfather, who was a Seabee chief in the Navy,” Bricker said. “Growing up hearing his stories really inspired me to join to go see the world and serve my country.”
Bricker is part of the fifth Navy Week to be hosted in Tucson, with the last visit in 2023. Navy Weeks are a series of outreach events coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO) designed to give Americans an opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity.
“Coming home for the Navy Week lets me show people that they do not have to go to college out of high school to succeed,” Bricker said. “I want to show people that they can succeed if they believe in themselves.”
Today, Bricker serves as an information systems technician.
“I work on computers, servers, and radios on different patrol boats,” Bricker said. “I’m just a comms guy from every movie ever.”
Bricker has had many opportunities to excel in the Navy and sees military service as more than just a job – it represents a chance to become a better person. Bricker has done well and was recently placed in a position usually held by those in higher pay grades.
“I’m most proud of being named a lead petty officer as a petty officer second class,” Bricker said.
Bricker is grateful for the Tucson community and for the family members who helped make a Navy career possible.
“I want to send a shout-out to my mom,” Bricker added. “She’s always been there for me in every moment of my life, so it’s been great to have someone in my corner.”
Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort, bringing sailors into areas of the country without a significant Navy presence and providing the public a firsthand look at why the Navy matters to cities like Tucson.
“As we celebrate 250 years of naval tradition and excellence as a maritime nation, we recognize it’s the combination of the world’s most sophisticated weapons systems, and more importantly our highly skilled people – at sea and ashore – who provide an unmatched advantage in promoting prosperity and security, deterring aggression and protecting the American way of life,” said Cmdr. Julie Holland, Navy Office of Community Outreach director. “Your sailors continue a tradition of decisive power from seabed to space and we’re thrilled to bring them to Tucson so you can witness their tremendous character, competence and dedication firsthand.”
Tucson Navy Week events include a Navy Week proclamation and recognition ceremony at the Arizona Heroes Memorial; Discovery Night at the Children’s Museum; Navy Day at the Reid Park Zoo; 100th La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Tucson Rodeo; the Pima Air and Space Museum; and free live music at venues throughout the city performed by Navy Band Southwest. Sailors will also volunteer with organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs; Therapeutic Ranch for Animals and Kids (TRAK); StandUp for Kids; YMCA; Habitat for Humanity; Market on the Move; GAP Ministries; Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona; and Tucson Bicycle Classic, among others.
For a list of public events, visit https://outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks/Tucson-2025/