WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Marine Corps announced today the cancellation of Marine Week Seattle. Marine Week is the Corps’ annual week-long community outreach event, scheduled to be held in Seattle, Wash., from Aug. 5-11.
The cancellation of Marine Week Seattle is a result of overall sequestration impacts and reflects the Department of Defense’s efforts to reduce the amount of military spending.
“The fiscal challenge is not unique to the Marine Corps,” said Lt. Gen. Steven A. Hummer, commander of Marine Forces Reserve. “The decrease in our budget will affect key areas of the service, to include our community outreach efforts. While we face challenging times ahead, we are committed to our service to the nation and will prioritize efforts as necessary to complete our essential missions.”
Hummer added, “I want to personally thank Seattle’s Mayor Mike McGinn and the City of Seattle for their unwavering support. We appreciate their willingness to host the event as well as their understanding of our difficult decision.”
The Marine Corps prioritizes building relationships within the community and creating opportunities for the American public to interact with Marines and learn about the missions and goals of the service. While the Marine Corps seeks to strengthen its community outreach programs, the current fiscal climate necessitates cancellation of certain high-cost activities like Marine Week Seattle.
The Marine Corps will continue to maintain relationships through local community outreach programs and hopes to return to Seattle in the future if a resolution is reached.
Marine Week Seattle was scheduled to be the fifth Marine Week event after Cleveland (2012), St. Louis (2011), Boston (2010) and Chicago (2009).
For additional information contact the Marine Week Public Affairs Officer, Capt. Maureen Dooley at
Maureen.dooley@usmc.mil.