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Fleet Week on hold due to federal budget cuts – Metro US

Fleet Week on hold due to federal budget cuts

New York City’s Fleet Week celebration brings thousands of sailors to the city every year. Credit: Getty Images

Fans of New York City’s annual Fleet Week will feel the hit of federal budget cuts this year. The Department of Defense has put a hold on optional events like the 29-year-old Fleet Week celebration that takes place in the city every spring.

Organizers are trying to move forward with plans to hold the event, but it is almost certain that sailors won’t be flooding city streets like they usually do. Only local Navy ships will be deployed for this year’s celebration, and most of the ships that arrive for Fleet Week are not local, The New York Post reports.

A Navy spokeswoman added that according to the Department of Defense’s policy, “no branch of the armed forces can participate in community relations or outreach that comes at additional cost to the government.”

This year’s Fleet Week is scheduled for May 23 to 30. Many local businesses count on the annual event that brings thousands of men and women in uniform to the city each year. The celebration also features Navy ship tours and demonstrations.