Salute to the Navy and Coast Guard
Port Everglades will be the place to be from April 25 through April 30 as sailors from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard will come to Broward County once again to take part in Fleet Week. During this week-long patriotic event, men and woman from our Armed Forces will lead tours or our nation's latest and greatest warships, participate in community service projects and receive some well-deserved rest and relaxation.
Online registration for Fleet Week Port Everglades ship tours is forthcoming. Tours are free to the public, however only a limited number are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Advance registration is REQUIRED following the registration process below, and walk-ins are not permitted. Ship tours will be conducted daily to register please visit Broward Navy Days.
For entry to Port Everglades, all persons over the age of 18 must have valid government-issued photo identification such as a driver's license or passport.
Port Everglades has a long history with the U.S. Navy as a former military base during World War II and more recently as a favorite liberty port. Each spring, the Port hosts Fleet Week, a national celebration of our ocean-going military forces.
Port Everglades had the honor of hosting the commissioning ceremony for the USS JASON DUNHAM (DDG 109), the Navy's most advanced Arleigh Burke Class, Aegis Guided Missile Destroyer, on Saturday, November 13, 2010. The event drew thousands to the port following a week of events and activities for the crew and their families. The last time a ship was commissioned in Port Everglades was in 2005 and drew a crowd of 5,000. The commissioning drew an even larger crowd of patriotic Americans when they learned the story behind this ship's name.
Port Everglades has had the honor of hosting the commissioning of four other U.S. Navy ships-the USS Leyete Gulf (1987), USS Cole (1996), USS Higgins (1999) and USS Bainbridge (2005). With the decommissioning of the USS John C. Calhoun submarine (1993), Port Everglades is also frequently the port of choice for official Change of Command ceremonies.
International naval fleets from Great Britain, Uruguay, Brazil, France, Germany and NATO also count on Port Everglades.
Another force with a prominent presence at the Port is the U.S. Coast Guard. On August 7, 1975 the U.S. Coast Guard Station, Fort Lauderdale was formally commissioned directly across from Port Everglades. Its primary missions are search, rescue and drug interdiction. The phone number for U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Lauderdale is 954-927-1611.
