Navy cancels Blue Angels shows for 2013 due to sequester
By Perry Chiaramonte Published April 09, 2013
FoxNews.com
The Blue Angels, the Navy's revered aerial acrobats, have been grounded for the rest of the year due to sequestration cuts.
The Navy announced the cancellation Tuesday of over 30 shows for the stunt-flying team that were planned through November, citing budget cuts imposed by the Department of Defense.
“The Navy has cancelled the remaining 2013 performances of its Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels. The Squadron will continue to train to maintain flying proficiency until further notice at its home station in Pensacola,” a statement from Navy officials said. “Recognizing budget realities, current Defense policy states that outreach events can only be supported with local assets at no cost to the government.”
The Navy is following in the steps of the Air Force, which last month cancelled all remaining shows for its stunt team, the Thunderbirds, and the Army, which cancelled remaining 2013 shows for its parachute skydiving team, the Golden Knights.
The cancellations are the product of military-wide cuts that also trimmed back on ship and plane upkeep -- and could result in furloughs for hundreds of thousands of civilian Pentagon employees.
Navy officials add that the cancellation is not only due in part to the sequester, but also from a DOD policy to prioritize funding for Armed Forces.
The cancellation of the Blue Angels season, the first since the Korean War, will save the Department of Defense between $20 million and $25 million.
Enthusiasts say that this, coupled with the cancellation of the Thunderbirds season, is a major blow to the air show industry.
“The Blue Angels are the Rolling Stones of the Air Show World and losing them, whether it’s a few days, a few months, or a few years, it is a crushing blow, not only to the industry, but for thousands of fans,” John Cudahy, president of the International Council of Air Shows, told FoxNews.com.
“The Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds are huge draws for our industry and when they don’t participate in an air show it not only hurts attendance -- it makes it less than it was,” he added.
Organizers for Seafair, a yearly summer festival in Seattle, Wash., shared the sentiment with a release on their website Tuesday.
“Today we were officially informed by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels that their season has been cancelled, including the Seafair performance, due to federal budget cuts resulting from sequestration,” reads the statement. “The Blue Angels have flown at Seafair for over 40 years and are an important part of our history. The team will be deeply missed by Seattleites…”
Also announced in recent days were the cancellations of Navy Weeks across the country. The events, which are similar to New York City’s Fleet Week, normally take place from spring through fall in cities like San Antonio, Indianapolis and Salt Lake City.
Navy cancels Blue Angels shows for 2013 due to sequester | Fox News
Fleet Week will be minus the fleet this year
Navy pulls out of Broward's 22-year event in light of federal budget cuts
Because of government budget cuts, the Navy will not send any ships or sailors hungering for liberty to Port Everglades this spring, ending a 22 year tradition. The USS Wasp steams into port on April 25, last year.
Because of government budget cuts, the Navy will not send any ships or sailors… (Joe Cavaretta, Sun Sentinel )
April 9, 2013|By Robert Nolin, Sun Sentinel
Fleet Week will go on — but there won't be a fleet.
No Navy warships, no tours, no sailors craving a taste of liberty.
Instead, local organizers will fete area servicemen and women during a "Military Appreciation Week" from April 29 through May 6.
"There will be a Fleet Week this year," asserted Mary Anne Gray, director of Broward Navy Days, the event's main organizer. "The events will be a little bit different, that's all."
Government sequestration budget cuts torpedoed the 22-year tradition in which Navy warships, laden with thousands of sailors eager for shore leave, call at Port Everglades every spring.
But while the Navy won't be sending any vessels this year, local organizers — and sponsors who have invested approximately $500,000 — are instead planning to hold events to honor local military personnel.
"We have our backup plan, and our backup plan will be very successful," Gray said. "This is just a hiccup on the road."
There will be golf and fishing tournaments, a recognition breakfast and a cooking competition, as well as a Miami Marlins ball game and parties and receptions. But the schedule is a pale reflection of past Fleet Weeks, which in their heyday saw sailors swarming area bars and beaches, and several thousand locals touring the big gray warships. Community service projects, in which sailors did home repair or visited school and hospitals, will not occur.
The events are aimed at personnel from all military branches stationed in South Florida. "We look forward to celebrating them," said Gray
"We're all about bringing a little more recognition to our local units," said Jean-Sebastien Gros, chairman of Broward Navy Days. "There's a lot more to Fleet Week than ships arriving at Port Everglades."
Local military personnel could come from the Coast Guard, which has a strong presence in South Florida, and Southcom, or the U.S. Southern Command. Based in Doral in Miami-Dade County, it is responsible for military plannng and operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean. More than 1,200 military and civilian personnel — representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard — make up the staff at Southcom.
While Coast Guard personnel may participate, no cutters will appear at Port Everglades; fuel costs and patrol responsibilities preclude their visit, Gros said.
Navy spokeswoman Suzanne Speight said the budget cuts, which went into effect March 1, have forced the Navy to allocate available funds to the support, training and maintenance of active duty units. No Navy ships will partake in any similar port calls this year. The Blue Angels, the Navy's performing jet fighter squad, will not participate in any air shows.
All military units, including the Air Force Thunderbirds, always a popular draw, have been withdrawn from the Lauderdale Air Show this year as well.
Fleet Week canceled because of government sequestration budget cuts, ending 22-year tradition - Sun Sentinel
By Perry Chiaramonte Published April 09, 2013
FoxNews.com
The Blue Angels, the Navy's revered aerial acrobats, have been grounded for the rest of the year due to sequestration cuts.
The Navy announced the cancellation Tuesday of over 30 shows for the stunt-flying team that were planned through November, citing budget cuts imposed by the Department of Defense.
“The Navy has cancelled the remaining 2013 performances of its Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels. The Squadron will continue to train to maintain flying proficiency until further notice at its home station in Pensacola,” a statement from Navy officials said. “Recognizing budget realities, current Defense policy states that outreach events can only be supported with local assets at no cost to the government.”
The Navy is following in the steps of the Air Force, which last month cancelled all remaining shows for its stunt team, the Thunderbirds, and the Army, which cancelled remaining 2013 shows for its parachute skydiving team, the Golden Knights.
The cancellations are the product of military-wide cuts that also trimmed back on ship and plane upkeep -- and could result in furloughs for hundreds of thousands of civilian Pentagon employees.
Navy officials add that the cancellation is not only due in part to the sequester, but also from a DOD policy to prioritize funding for Armed Forces.
The cancellation of the Blue Angels season, the first since the Korean War, will save the Department of Defense between $20 million and $25 million.
Enthusiasts say that this, coupled with the cancellation of the Thunderbirds season, is a major blow to the air show industry.
“The Blue Angels are the Rolling Stones of the Air Show World and losing them, whether it’s a few days, a few months, or a few years, it is a crushing blow, not only to the industry, but for thousands of fans,” John Cudahy, president of the International Council of Air Shows, told FoxNews.com.
“The Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds are huge draws for our industry and when they don’t participate in an air show it not only hurts attendance -- it makes it less than it was,” he added.
Organizers for Seafair, a yearly summer festival in Seattle, Wash., shared the sentiment with a release on their website Tuesday.
“Today we were officially informed by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels that their season has been cancelled, including the Seafair performance, due to federal budget cuts resulting from sequestration,” reads the statement. “The Blue Angels have flown at Seafair for over 40 years and are an important part of our history. The team will be deeply missed by Seattleites…”
Also announced in recent days were the cancellations of Navy Weeks across the country. The events, which are similar to New York City’s Fleet Week, normally take place from spring through fall in cities like San Antonio, Indianapolis and Salt Lake City.
Navy cancels Blue Angels shows for 2013 due to sequester | Fox News
Fleet Week will be minus the fleet this year
Navy pulls out of Broward's 22-year event in light of federal budget cuts
Because of government budget cuts, the Navy will not send any ships or sailors hungering for liberty to Port Everglades this spring, ending a 22 year tradition. The USS Wasp steams into port on April 25, last year.
Because of government budget cuts, the Navy will not send any ships or sailors… (Joe Cavaretta, Sun Sentinel )
April 9, 2013|By Robert Nolin, Sun Sentinel
Fleet Week will go on — but there won't be a fleet.
No Navy warships, no tours, no sailors craving a taste of liberty.
Instead, local organizers will fete area servicemen and women during a "Military Appreciation Week" from April 29 through May 6.
"There will be a Fleet Week this year," asserted Mary Anne Gray, director of Broward Navy Days, the event's main organizer. "The events will be a little bit different, that's all."
Government sequestration budget cuts torpedoed the 22-year tradition in which Navy warships, laden with thousands of sailors eager for shore leave, call at Port Everglades every spring.
But while the Navy won't be sending any vessels this year, local organizers — and sponsors who have invested approximately $500,000 — are instead planning to hold events to honor local military personnel.
"We have our backup plan, and our backup plan will be very successful," Gray said. "This is just a hiccup on the road."
There will be golf and fishing tournaments, a recognition breakfast and a cooking competition, as well as a Miami Marlins ball game and parties and receptions. But the schedule is a pale reflection of past Fleet Weeks, which in their heyday saw sailors swarming area bars and beaches, and several thousand locals touring the big gray warships. Community service projects, in which sailors did home repair or visited school and hospitals, will not occur.
The events are aimed at personnel from all military branches stationed in South Florida. "We look forward to celebrating them," said Gray
"We're all about bringing a little more recognition to our local units," said Jean-Sebastien Gros, chairman of Broward Navy Days. "There's a lot more to Fleet Week than ships arriving at Port Everglades."
Local military personnel could come from the Coast Guard, which has a strong presence in South Florida, and Southcom, or the U.S. Southern Command. Based in Doral in Miami-Dade County, it is responsible for military plannng and operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean. More than 1,200 military and civilian personnel — representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard — make up the staff at Southcom.
While Coast Guard personnel may participate, no cutters will appear at Port Everglades; fuel costs and patrol responsibilities preclude their visit, Gros said.
Navy spokeswoman Suzanne Speight said the budget cuts, which went into effect March 1, have forced the Navy to allocate available funds to the support, training and maintenance of active duty units. No Navy ships will partake in any similar port calls this year. The Blue Angels, the Navy's performing jet fighter squad, will not participate in any air shows.
All military units, including the Air Force Thunderbirds, always a popular draw, have been withdrawn from the Lauderdale Air Show this year as well.
Fleet Week canceled because of government sequestration budget cuts, ending 22-year tradition - Sun Sentinel
