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 Lt. j.g. Lyle Lopez, from Haleiwa.
Lopez graduated from Waialua High and Intermediate School in 2002 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University in 2007 and a degree in landscape architecture from the University of Idaho in 2018. Upon joining the Navy, Lopez quickly found that many of the skills and values forged in Haleiwa were the same as those needed to succeed in the Navy.
“I grew up in a small community where many families knew each other and learned the value of treating people kindly and helping when in times of need,” Lopez said.
Lopez joined the Navy two years ago, looking for a change of pace.
“Getting to experience a job field that was completely opposite to what I was doing prior to joining was also a large influencing factor in my decision to join,” Lopez said. “Service to me now is helping other sailors utilize and visualize avenues that they may not have thought about before.”
Lopez 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 believe that my experiences outside of the Navy have helped me appreciate the benefits of serving,” Lopez said. “I feel that it would be important for me to help individuals from or near my hometown to see these potential benefits and how they could help their lives.”
Today, Lopez is assigned to Navy Information Operations Command Texas.
“I get to see service members defend the new front line of the United States,” Lopez said.
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 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/.