Texas A&M University at Galveston Welcomes Fleet Week Houston
The weeklong celebration kicks off with parade of ships at Seawolf Park
For the first time ever, Fleet Week is docking in the Houston area. Often held in cities from Los Angeles to Baltimore, Fleet Week is an annual tradition where active-duty Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard ships, along with their crews, dock in major cities to celebrate with the public, offering ship tours, air shows, and military demonstrations.
Fleet Week Houston kicked off on April 15 with a Boat Parade in Galveston Bay at Seawolf Park. Thousands of attendees cheered as various vessels passed by. Ships in the parade included the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), USS Minneapolis-St. Paul (LCS-21), USS Cooperstown (LCS-23), and USCGC Edgar Culbertson (WPC-1137).
In addition to seeing the ships come sailing in, attendees of the boat parade who arrived on Pelican Island by car were welcomed to the campus of Texas A&M University at Galveston by several large signs that highlighted the mission of the campus. As the only Maritime Academy located on the Gulf coast, Texas A&M University at Galveston says, “welcome and Gig ‘em” to the members of the United States Navy, Coast Guard and Marines who are in town for the inaugural Fleet Week Houston. Each Fleet Week creates a time to honor those who serve, Fleet Week is also a time to highlight careers in maritime service, engineering, technology, and logistics.
In addition to welcoming a state-of-the-art training vessel, Lone Star State, starting in the Fall 2026 semester, TAMUG students can enroll in a new degree program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Operations (B.S. MARO). Students enrolled in the B.S. MARO will cast off on a journey to address the growing role that maritime operations play in fueling the global economy where nearly 99 percent of all goods used in the United States arrive on board ships.
Fleet Week Houston ends on April 22. The opportunities for success available for students and cadets at Texas A&M University at Galveston and Texas A&M Maritime Academy are endless.
