MILLINGTON, Tenn. – U.S. Navy sailors from across the fleet are headed to North Carolina for Charlotte Navy Week, May 4 to 10, to volunteer in the community and discuss why the Navy matters to the Queen 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 Petty Officer 2nd Class Blake Wood, a native of Spring Hope.
Wood attended Charles B. Aycock and Southern Nash high schools and graduated from Bunn High School in 2021. Upon joining the Navy, Wood quickly found that many of the skills and values forged in Spring Hope were the same as those needed to succeed in the Navy.
“Growing up, I learned the value of the Southern work ethic and Southern hospitality,” Wood said. “Work is a commonality among Southern people, especially those who grew up on farms. Work typically began at sunrise and ended at sunset; these ethics of difficult but honest work translate well to the Navy. Southern hospitality also helps to build good relationships and lasting friendships in the service.”
Wood, who joined the Navy five years ago, is assigned to Pre-Commissioning Unit Bougainville, a large-deck amphibious assault ship under construction in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
“My great-grandfather was a large inspiration for me growing up; he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a landing craft operator,” Wood said. “This inspiration caused me to join the U.S. Navy to honor him and to grow as a person. The Navy gives me a chance to learn skills and become far wiser than I could imagine.”
Wood is part of the second Navy Week to be hosted in Charlotte. 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.
“Coming back to North Carolina for Navy Week allows me to show everyone back home that a better life is possible,” Wood said. “Many people within the region, myself included, struggle with poverty. This opportunity allows me to show that it can get better and that poverty isn’t permanent. This also helps to show that sailors will help North Carolina in the best effort we can.”
Today, Wood serves as an aviation electronics technician.
“I calibrate shipboard and aviation equipment while contemplating why engineers are allowed to design equipment,” Wood said. “I also help to train sailors on the calibration program and medical.”
Wood 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’m most proud when I see the sailors I helped to train achieve their goals,” Wood said. “From everything I’ve been given, such as awards and promotions, it seems small in comparison to watching those I’ve trained or mentored succeed.”
Wood is grateful for the Spring Hope community and for those who helped make a Navy career possible.
“I’d like to thank Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Bonde, Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Sutherland, Aviation Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Rohn, Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Beltran, Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Hicksbloodsaw, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Hamilton, Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Parrish, Lt. Davis, Lt. Yates, Mr. Floyd Kennedy, Pastor Benjamin Quinn, my entire family, Leah Mandis and the Mandis family,” Wood 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 Charlotte.
Throughout the week, sailors will participate in a wide range of events across Charlotte, including community service projects, athletic engagements and live performances, culminating in weekend events at the Truist Championship. Navy Week also provides a platform for Charlotte residents to learn more about career opportunities in the Navy, including paths in STEM, law, cybersecurity, music and special operations.
For a list of public events, visit https://outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks/Charlotte-2026/.