On Friday, January 27, and for the first time since 2019, Frost Science celebrated Navy Day at the museum. The event was a culmination of Miami Navy Week, coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach. Miami is one of just 15 cities to host Navy Week in 2023. The more than 1,400 museum guests in attendance at this year’s event got to learn firsthand about Naval science, medicine, and history.
The day was a feast for the senses: Navy divers swam overhead in the Oculus in our Gulf Stream Aquarium, the sounds of brass quintet Navy Band Southeast percolated through the Main Atrium, and the Ceremonial Guard Drill team impressed viewers with their rhythmic precision and skill. Crew members from the USS Constitution even brought samples of the wood the ship was made from and the hard tack biscuits and “gunpowder” tea (named for its fine grain, not the ingredients!) sailors consumed for guests to see and touch. The Meteorology and Oceanography Command and Naval History and Heritage Command interacted with guests on to share the science and history behind Naval operations, sending them home with Navy stickers and puzzles.
Pictured left: Member of the Meteorology and Oceanography Command speaking with visitors about oceanography in the Navy. Pictured right: Crew members from the USS Constitution teach members of the public about the United States’ oldest commissioned Naval ship.
Frost Science was also host to another Navy Week activity on Tuesday, January 24, when we welcomed Rear Admiral Guido F. Valdes, Commander of Naval Medical Forces Pacific, for a LIVE@Frost Science lecture titled, “Innovations in Navy Medicine.” Rear Admiral Valdes talked about the challenges of providing medical care on the high seas and current and future U.S. military operational medicine capabilities. The lively crowd peppered him with questions about high-precision medicine, day-to-day life as a sailor and his career path.
Pictured above: Rear Admiral Guido F. Valdes, Commander of Naval Medical Forces Pacific speaking during the January 24, 2023 LIVE@Frost Science.
Frost Science COO Trevor Powers says, “It was wonderful partnering with sailors from across the country for this year’s Navy Day. It provided a unique opportunity for our guests to see and hear about the technologies that the U.S. Navy employs on the water, below the water, and in the sky to carry out their missions.” Powers is also a former Navy Submarine Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator, so for him “It was quite a personal thrill to see the Navy dive teams, Navy band and Navy drill team in action at the museum.” In fact, there were a few other Navy veterans at Friday’s event, making it even more special. We look forward to the next Navy Week in Miami!
