Each year, various cities around the country hold a “fleet week” event to honor members of the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Event organizers say the “fleet week” concept is two-fold… thanking our troops for their service while allowing general members of the public to come on base to get up close and personal with military equipment like ships, airplanes and tanks.

San Diego’s celebration is in full swing and through the years has become the largest “fleet week” in the country. It seems fitting especially when you consider the San Diego region now has the largest military presence in all of America. According to the San Diego Military Advisory Council, there are more than 330,000 active duty personnel calling this part of southern California home. It’s estimated there are another 100,000 uniformed personnel also working here in various jobs under the Department of Defense. The US military alone injects roughly 26 billion dollars into the San Diego county economy each year.

Fleet week itself is expected to draw roughly 20,000 spectators from all over the world which translates into big bucks for the local economy. Julie Meier Wright is with the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation and says “Those dollars are captured in TOT taxes, which are taxes that hotel guests pay when they stay in a hotel. We certainly capture sales tax from restaurants and purchases of souvenirs and other things like that. Tourism is when people come to your area and leave money and then go somewhere else.” Meier Wright says this event is expected to generate an estimated 10 million dollars for the region.

Everywhere you turn on the Coronado Naval Base… spectators will find different events to mark the “fleet week” celebration. Folks can catch a car race, air show or even climb aboard real military aircraft for a look around. Organizers and sponsors hope to grow San Diego’s bash more and more each year… as the military presence in southern California grows as well.