MILLINGTON, Tenn. – U.S. Navy sailors from across the fleet are headed to Minnesota for Duluth Navy Week, June 30 to July 6, to volunteer in the community and discuss why the Navy matters to the Zenith City.
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 Cmdr. Nehkonti Adams, who grew up in Burnsville, Minnesota.
Adams graduated from Burnsville High School in 1994. Upon joining the Navy, Adams quickly found that many of the skills and values forged in Burnsville were the same as those needed to succeed in the Navy.
“Growing up, I learned the importance of tolerance,” Adams said. “My family immigrated from Liberia in 1986 and eventually settled in Burnsville, Minnesota. I found the community warm and welcoming, and it was a great place to shape my early life.”
Adams, who joined the Navy 30 years ago, is assigned to Naval Medical Research Command (NMRC).
“I joined the Navy to ‘see the world,’ I have done that and even more,” Adams said. “Not only have I seen the world, but it has also changed me. It has shaped the way I view it and contributed to my values and passions. Serving in the Navy has allowed me to more efficiently provide a positive impact in the global issues I want to improve.”
Adams is part of the fourth Navy Week to be hosted by Duluth. 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.
“Participating in this Navy Week brings my career back in full circle,” Adams said. “I joined the Navy in Minnesota, and coming home to share my adventures and highlighting the many opportunities the Navy has to offer is exciting. I want to let the youth know that they, too, can have a great career in the Navy.”
Today, Adams serves as a physician in the Navy Medical Corps and is the director of the NMRC Clinical Trials Center.
“No day is the same,” Adams said. “On any given day, I could be seeing patients, working on a clinical trial, lecturing at the medical school or planning a field mission in West Africa.”
Adams 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. While serving, Adams earned an associate degree in science from Tidewater Community College in 1999, a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Minnesota in 2001, a medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 2004 and a master’s degree in global health policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2022.
“I was awarded the Esther Pohl Lovejoy Award in 2024, which is given to a female physician who has demonstrated excellence in and commitment to international health,” Adams said. “While receiving that prestigious national award by the American Medical Women’s Association, I knew it was only possible through the opportunities that the Navy had given to me.”
Adams is grateful for the Burnsville community and for those who helped make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my parents and all seven siblings who still live in the Twin Cities area, as well as Burnsville High School, Normandale Community College and the University of Minnesota for providing a strong social and educational foundation,” Adams added.
Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort into areas of the country without a significant Navy presence, providing the public a firsthand look at why the Navy matters to cities like Duluth.
“This year, as we mark the Navy’s 250th birthday, we celebrate not only our rich history but also the generations of Sailors who have proudly served our nation,” said Cmdr. Julie Holland, director of the Navy Office of Community Outreach. “Minnesota and the Great Lakes region is rich with naval history, and I am proud to help showcase the strength, resilience, and dedication of America’s Navy to the community of Duluth and beyond.”
Throughout the week, sailors will participate in community service projects with organizations such as Second Harvest Northland, Superior Hiking Trail, Union Gospel Mission, Keep Duluth Clean, Animal Allies and Douglas County Humane Societies, and Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. They will also engage with local students through STEM-focused sessions at STARBASE Minnesota and offer healthcare presentations and scholarship opportunities at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and the College of St. Scholastica. The Navy Band will perform live at venues across the city, bringing Navy pride and energy to Duluth residents. Duluth Navy Week will also include a city proclamation with Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert, officially recognizing the event and honoring the Navy’s contributions to the Great Lakes region and to the nation.
Throughout the week, sailors will participate in community service projects with organizations such as Second Harvest Northland, Superior Hiking Trail, Union Gospel Mission, Keep Duluth Clean, Animal Allies and Douglas County Humane Societies, and Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. They will also engage with local students through STEM-focused sessions at STARBASE Minnesota and offer healthcare presentations and scholarship opportunities at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and the College of St. Scholastica. The Navy Band will perform live at venues across the city, bringing Navy pride and energy to Duluth residents. Duluth Navy Week will also include a city proclamation with Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert, officially recognizing the event and honoring the Navy’s contributions to the Great Lakes region and to the nation.
For a list of public events, visit https://outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks/Duluth-2025/