MILLINGTON, Tenn. – U.S. Navy sailors from across the fleet are headed to the islands for Hawaii Navy Week, March 9 to 15, to volunteer in the community and discuss why the Navy matters to the Aloha State.
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 Logan Neves, from Kohala.
Neves graduated from Kohala High School in 2022. Upon joining the Navy, Neves quickly found that many of the skills and values forged in Kohala were the same as those needed to succeed in the Navy.
“My family always instilled the quality of being a hard worker and staying tough,” Neves said. “These qualities helped me thrive and succeed in the Navy.”
Neves, who joined the Navy three years ago, is assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37, known as the “Easyriders,” stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay.
“I always knew I wanted to be the first out of my family to try something different and see more than the Big Island,” Neves said. “I also love everything to do with the ocean and helping others in need. So, becoming a rescue swimmer in the Navy felt like it was my destiny.”
Neves is part of the first Navy Week to be hosted in Hawaii. 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 is important to me because it gives me the chance to voice myself and explain to my Hawaiian people exactly what I do as a rescue swimmer and why my naval career is so important to me,” Neves said. “The Navy presence is slim back on the Big Island, and not a lot of people even give thought to joining. But if I can educate and inspire some of my peers back home to pursue a rewarding and respected career in the best Navy in the world, it would mean the world to me.”
Today, Neves serves as a naval aircrewman.
“I am a tactical aircrewman and rescue swimmer,” Neves said. “The beauty behind this job is that I could be training to hunt down and track a submarine one day, and be called out to deploy out of the helicopter to save a life another day. Our helicopter is capable of multiple different mission sets. So, when we’re out on deployment, we never know just what we might get into.”
Neves 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.
“My proudest accomplishment would be getting through the many schools it takes to become a tactical aircrewman and rescue swimmer in the Navy,” Neves said. “It took a lot of time, academics and physical training. I am proud to be where I am today. Not everyone makes it through the whole pipeline.”
Neves is grateful for the Kohala community and for those who helped make a Navy career possible.
“I’d like to thank all of my family for the endless love and support,” added Neves. “In Kohala, we’ve got a saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ I wouldn’t be here today without them.”
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 Hawaii.
“We’re excited to bring Navy Week to Hawaii for the first time and continue the 2026 tour in this vital part of the Pacific,” said Cmdr. Julie Holland, director of the Navy Office of Community Outreach. “Hawaii has long been a cornerstone of our Navy’s presence, and this event is a great opportunity to strengthen the bond between our sailors and the community while celebrating the Aloha spirit and Hawaii’s strategic role in our nation’s defense.”
While on the Big Island, approximately 50 sailors will partner with organizations like Volcanoes National Park, OK Farms, Lavaloha Farms or Carve4Vets for service-based projects; University of Hawaii Hilo, Kamehameha Schools and Hilo-Waiakea Schools for educational visits; Mokupapapa Discovery Center, Kileauea Military Camp, and Pana’ewa Zoo Gardens for static displays; and daily performances from the U.S. Pacific Fleet band at places like Rainbow Falls, Hilo Public Library and the Mooheau Bandstand.
Meanwhile on Oahu, locally-based sailors from across the island will be engaged in events to include a swearing in and proclamation ceremony with the Governor’s Office; volunteer engagements at The Pantry, Hawaii Public Libraries and River of Life Mission; band performances at Ala Moana Center Stage and the Waikiki International Marketplace; and up front and center at the Honolulu Festival Grand Parade.
For a list of public events, visit https://outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks/Honolulu-Hilo-2026/.