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A black-tie affair

Navy league celebrates Armed Forces Day in style

Everyone gets into their best outfits to honor the Navy on Armed Forces Day. Photo credit: Navy League

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In 1949, under President Harry S. Truman, Armed Forces Day was created to signal the unification of all armed services under the Department of Defense. Celebrated the third Saturday in May, Armed Forces Day is a day for all citizens of the United States to come together and thank military members for their service to our country. To show its appreciation, the Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Counsel of the Navy League of the United States will close local Armed Forces Week festivities by hosting the 2016 Navy League Armed Forces Day Gala May 21. The event is an elegant evening focused on spotlighting our military's finest.

More than 100 servicemembers and their spouses, as well as Navy League members, community and political leaders and honored guests will arrive dressed to the nines at one of the only formal events this side of the Puget Sound to celebrate in the beautiful Admiral Theatre in downtown Bremerton.

Honorees will include Navy sailors of the year, Trident submarine Battle E winners and Lt. Cmdr. Jeremy Medlin, of the USS Maine Blue, who was recently awarded the first-ever Rear Adm. Willis A. Lent Award for best performing tactical submarine department head in the U.S. Pacific Submarine Force, honored by the Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Counsel of the Navy League.

This year's keynote speaker will be Adm. Scott Swift, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, who will also serve as the Grand Marshal of the Bremerton Armed Forces Day Parade earlier in the day. Swift is the 35th Pacific Fleet Commander and currently serves in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was commissioned into the Navy in 1979 through the Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate Program and has participated in combat Operations Praying Mantis, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom and is entitled to wear the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and Air Medal with Combat V.

Leading up to the Armed Forces Day Gala is an entire week of activities devoted to saluting the servicemembers of our community. The community will celebrate our men and women in uniform through luncheons, 5k runs, a special Senior Enlisted Picnic also sponsored by the Navy League, two pancake breakfasts, and a Heroes' Barbecue in addition to the 68th Annual Armed Forces Day Parade, which is the largest and longest-running parade of its kind in the United States. Parade entrants are coming in from as far away as Oregon to participate.

The Navy League Armed Forces Day Gala is a black-tie event that will include a delicious meal provided by the Admiral Theatre's Executive Chef Ted Ness, and entertainment will be provided by Flamenco guitarist Alejandro after the official ceremonies have concluded.

For more information about the Armed Forces Day Gala or the many other activities and sponsorships of the Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Counsel of the Navy League, visit www.bremolympicnlus.wordpress.com.

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