Ship’s crew attends Harbor Park outing while carrier undergoes overhaul
Members of the crew of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) joined fans at Harbor Park Stadium on Sept. 3 for a command outing, part of a Navy effort to maintain ties with the Hampton Roads community as the ship undergoes a major maintenance period.
The outing was captured in a photograph taken by a U.S. Navy mass communication specialist and later posted by DVIDS. The caption notes that Culinary Specialist 1st Class Stacheal Smith, assigned to the Stennis, sang the national anthem during the event.
"Culinary Specialist 1st Class Stacheal Smith, assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), sings the national anthem during a command outting at Harbor Park Stadium."
The photograph and accompanying information also emphasize that the carrier is currently at Newport News Shipbuilding undergoing a refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH). According to the Navy caption, the work is intended to prepare the ship for the second half of its 50-year service life. The RCOH is one of the most intensive maintenance periods a nuclear aircraft carrier undergoes and typically involves updates to propulsion, combat systems, and habitability improvements.
Local ties and community outreach
Harbor Park, home of the Norfolk Tides, has been a frequent site for military-community events, including ship crew appearances and ceremonial observances. Such outings serve several purposes: they give sailors time off the ship during lengthy shipyard availabilities, offer families and the public opportunities to engage with service members, and sustain the long-standing relationship between the Navy and the Hampton Roads region, where dozens of Navy ships and facilities are based.
While the DVIDS caption provides limited detail beyond the image and its metadata, the timing aligns with a routine practice in the region: ships in for overhaul at Newport News occasionally schedule morale-building outings for crew members and hosting commands to visit community events. For Norfolk residents, these visits are visible reminders of the economic and cultural connections the fleet has to the area.
Photo details and public domain release
The image was taken Sept. 3 and later posted on Sept. 10 by the Navy’s public affairs feed on DVIDS. The posting includes photo metadata and was released into the public domain with standard DVIDS usage restrictions noted on the site.
| Metadata | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date taken | Sept. 3, 2026 |
| Date posted | Sept. 10, 2026 |
| Photo ID | 9913989 |
| Location | Newport News / Harbor Park Stadium |
What this means for Norfolk
Norfolk and the broader Hampton Roads area host a concentration of Navy personnel, civilian shipyard workers, and related industries. The Stennis’ presence at Newport News Shipbuilding for an RCOH represents not only a significant engineering undertaking but also substantial local employment and contractor activity during the months- to years-long availability. Community events, like the Harbor Park outing, give residents direct contact with sailors undergoing these long maintenance cycles.
- Morale and outreach: Command outings provide sailors a break from shipyard life and an opportunity to engage with the public.
- Economic impact: RCOH availabilities support jobs at regional shipyards and subcontractors.
- Visibility: Public appearances keep the carrier’s presence and mission visible to Norfolk-area residents and supporters.
The photograph and its caption offer a snapshot of those interactions: a sailor performing the national anthem at a local ballpark while the ship she serves on is being readied to return to decades more of service. For Norfolk residents, the scene underscores the proximate and ongoing relationship between the city’s civic life and the operational and maintenance cycles of the U.S. fleet in Hampton Roads.
(Photo and caption information provided by U.S. Navy via DVIDS.)
