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 Lt. j.g. Gina Gulli, a native of Tucson, Arizona.
Gulli graduated from Cienega High School in 2018 and received a national Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship to the University of Arizona, earning a degree from the university in 2022. Upon joining the Navy, Gulli quickly found that many of the skills and values forged in Tucson were the same as those needed to succeed in the Navy.
“Between my high school sport, work peers, and my fellow college ROTC members, I learned the value of embracing my community and forming strong bonds that have helped me appreciate working as a team,” Gulli said.
When looking back at the decision to join the Navy more than two years ago, Gulli credits family with inspiring the spark for service, perseverance and overcoming challenges.
“My mother served in the Army for 25 years as a non-commissioned officer,” Gulli said. “I am committed to following in her footsteps and to motivate others to pursue their ambitions.”
Gulli 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.
“Growing up, I wish there was more Navy involvement in my town,” Gulli said. “I think it is important to educate the public on what opportunities the Navy has to offer.”
Today, Gulli manages a team of sailors and serves as a surface warfare officer aboard USS San Antonio.
“When we are in port, I help plan and execute my division’s taskings,” Gulli said. “During our underways, I will stand watch and assist in the driving and safe navigation of our ship.”
Gulli is thankful for the Tucson community and for the family members who helped make a career in the Navy possible.
“I am so grateful for the support of my grandparents, my mom and all of my wonderful friends who have had an incredible impact on my journey in the Navy,” Gulli added.
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/