Guilford Native Serving Aboard USS Cincinnati Returns to Tri-State for Cincinnati Navy Week

Cincinnati Navy Week runs September 13-20.

Jeffrey Irwin. Photo provided.

(Guilford, Ind.) - U.S. Navy sailors from across the fleet are headed to the Buckeye State for Cincinnati Navy Week, September 13 to 20, to volunteer in the community and discuss why the Navy matters to the Queen City.

While many of the sailors are from all over the country, this Navy Week will carry special meaning for visiting sailors from Cincinnati’s namesake vessel, USS Cincinnati, including Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey Irwin, a native of Guilford, Indiana.

Irwin graduated from Tri High School in 2001. Upon joining the Navy, Irwin quickly found that many of the skills and values forged in Guilford were the same as those needed to succeed in the Navy.

"Growing up in Indiana, playing athletics and working were the building blocks to my work ethic," Irwin said. "The Navy has built upon that, giving me the opportunity to lead and grow outside my comfort zone."

Irwin, who joined the Navy 15 years ago, is assigned to USS Cincinnati, a littoral combat ship homeported in San Diego, California.

"I joined the Navy to care for my wife and children and to give all of us the opportunity to see and experience different areas and cultures," Irwin said. "My service has given me the opportunity to provide for my family and help people from around the world."

Irwin is part of the second Navy Week to be hosted in Cincinnati. Navy Weeks are a series of outreach events coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO) designed to give Americans an opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity.

"Participating in this Navy Week gives me the chance to come back to my community and show the people who shaped me what their support has turned into," Irwin said. "Getting to share that with my family and reconnect with the place I grew up means everything to me."