NEW YORK — About 1,400 Hampton Roads sailors and Marines are up in New York City for the Big Apple's 36th Fleet Week.
ABC's Good Morning America spent the night with the crew of the Norfolk-based USS Bataan (LHD 5) on the amphibious assault ship's trip to Manhattan.
The day aboard the Bataan starts with a stunning sunrise and weapons training. The ship's superpower is what's called the "well deck" where the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) -- a ship within the ship -- can transport vehicles and personnel to land during deployments.
"We either load her up and send her to the shore or we load her up on the shore and bring her to the Bataan," explained Bataan operations officer Commander Dmitry Shvets. "To bring food and supplies or to bring back American citizens from places, also medical supplies."
It's also part of what made the Bataan a critical U.S. presence overseas amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
"We ended up going to the northern part of the Red Sea, and we're just up there tracking and reporting and being a secondary line of defense," said Bataan Commanding Officer, Capt. Paul Burkhart.
Headlining the 2024 Fleet Week New York is a destination that means something extra special to Captain Burkhart.
"I'll have a change of command [after Fleet Week], and that's also going to be my retirement," he explained. "[This is] my last Navy port visit, ever. I'm from New York, I was born in Little Falls, New York, grew up near Rochester and Buffalo, New York. I've got family that's going to be coming to see me here in New York. It's pretty exciting."
And he's proud of the crew accompanying him on this final trip.
"This crew is fabulous," he said. "This is probably one of the best crews I've had. They really get after things."
New York's Fleet Week 2024 runs from May 22 to May 28 and includes general public ship tours, aviation demonstrations, military band performances, and interactive displays.