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 2nd Class Maka Marote, from Hilo.
Marote graduated from Waiakea High School in 2016. Upon joining the Navy, Marote quickly found that many of the skills and values forged in Hilo were the same as those needed to succeed in the Navy.
Marote, who joined the Navy nine years ago, is assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37, known as the “Easyriders,” stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay.
“My father was in the Navy, and he is a huge role model to me, so naturally I followed in his footsteps,” Marote said. “Serving in the Navy has allowed me to strive at becoming a better leader and gives me the chance to defend the ones I love back at home.”
Marote 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.
“I think Hawaii Navy Week is important, especially since the Big Island doesn’t have much naval presence,” Marote said. “This is a great opportunity to show young adults how we conduct ourselves and what it looks like to enlist and hopefully inspire them to serve alongside us.”
Today, Marote serves as an aviation structural mechanic.
“I am an MH-60R helicopter aviation structural mechanic,” Marote said. “My job pretty much consists of everything on the helicopter that isn’t electrical or an engine. From flight controls, hydraulics and pneumatic systems to landing gear, corrosion control and painting, it is quite a lot of work. This job is tough and not for everyone, but being part of an elite mechanical team who can literally make helicopters fly is a feeling I will never get over!”
Marote 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.
“Most recently, this past year has been my proudest Navy accomplishment,” Marote said. “I won several awards, including a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, National Helicopter Association Junior Maintainer of the Year for Region 6, HSM-37 Junior Sailor of the Year and just finished an almost 10-month deployment out in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, my fifth deployment. I am most proud to have been a part of the team of sailors, both my leadership as well as my peers, who helped me reach all of these achievements!”
Marote is grateful for the Hilo community and for those who helped make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my entire family for their continuous love and support throughout this journey,” added Marote. “I wouldn’t be here today without them. With a special thanks to my Grandpa, Franklin Clay. I love to keep making you proud, Papa!”
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/.