MILLINGTON, Tenn. – U.S. Navy sailors from across the fleet are headed to South Texas for Rio Grande Valley Navy Week, Jan. 24-31, to volunteer in the community and discuss why the Navy matters to the Valley.
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 3rd Class Nancy Acevedo, a native of McAllen, Texas.
Acevedo graduated from Pioneer High School in 2019. Upon joining the Navy, Acevedo quickly found that many of the skills and values forged in McAllen were the same as those needed to succeed in the Navy.
“I was taught to be humble as well as to stand up for myself,” Acevedo said. “I learned to work hard and to prove to myself that I can do and learn anything.”
Acevedo, who joined the Navy four years ago, is assigned to USS Gonzalez, a guided-missile destroyer named for Marine Sgt. Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez, an Edinburg native who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism in the Vietnam War. As part of the Navy Week, sailors from Gonzalez will be visiting the Rio Grande Valley to honor the ship’s namesake and his mother.
“I joined the Navy for more opportunities and to be able to serve my country,” Acevedo said. “My cousin joined the Navy when I was little, and I always loved seeing him when he would come visit. He was probably the reason why I always knew I would join.”
Acevedo is part of the first Navy Week to be hosted in the Rio Grande Valley. 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.
“It is important for me to speak to people with similar backgrounds and give words of encouragement, whether they want to join the Navy or to follow their dream to become anything they want,” Acevedo said. “All I want is to motivate the people to succeed.”
Today, Acevedo serves as a gas turbine system technician (mechanical).
“As a gas turbine mechanic, we are constantly working on engines, generators, pumps, oils, etc.,” Acevedo said. “Our job is making sure the ship is ready to deploy at any given time.”
Acevedo 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.
“I would say my proudest accomplishment in the Navy is always being able to accomplish any job asked of me,” Acevedo said.
That determination is helping Acevedo work toward a college degree while serving. Acevedo took advantage of the Navy’s Tuition Assistance program while on shore duty, enrolling at Tidewater Community College. Acevedo plans to finish a bachelor’s in architecture by 2030.
Acevedo is grateful for the McAllen community and for those who helped make a Navy career possible.
“I’d like to thank all my siblings and, of course, my mother and aunt – may she rest in peace – for helping me raise my daughter so that I can join the Navy,” added Acevedo. “They knew how determined I was to give my daughter and me a better life, and they supported me during the entire process and still do.”
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 communities like those in the Valley.
“We’re excited to bring Navy Week to the Rio Grande Valley for the very first time, and to kick off the 2026 Navy Week schedule in the Lone Star State,” said Cmdr. Julie Holland, Navy Office of Community Outreach director. “As the nation celebrates Freedom 250 throughout 2026, the Navy’s Outreach team will embark on a celebratory ‘Road Trip to 250,’ linking key locations in America to our maritime dominance. Navy Weeks will serve as a symbolic link connecting communities across America to their Navy, highlighting the shared history and the enduring commitment to defending freedom and supporting our nation’s independence.”
Rio Grande Valley Navy Week events include multiple engagements at the Texas Citrus Fiesta Fun Fair and live performances throughout the week from the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard and the Navy’s New Orleans-style music group, the Deck Plate Brass Band.
Sailors will also be volunteering with the Boca Chica Beach Community Clean-Up, visiting schools across the Edinburg CISD, working on a service project at the American Legion Freddy Gonzalez Post 408, volunteering with the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley and more.
For a list of public events, visit https://outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks/Rio-Grande-Valley-2026/.