SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) — The military ships and jets that graced San Francisco for Fleet Week are leaving as the final day of Fleet Week celebrations wraps up Monday.
The final ship tours ended at 4 p.m., allowing the sailors aboard the USS Somerset, USS Stockdale, USS Cape St. George, USS Coronado, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell and HMCS Calgary to continue on their way.
San Francisco Fleet Week, an annual public event that honors the contributions of the men and woman of the U.S. Armed Forces, aims to advance cooperation and knowledge between civilian and military-based humanitarian assistance and disaster response personnel, according to the San Francisco Fleet Week Association.
The Blue Angels, a favorite U.S. Navy and Marine Corps flight demonstration squadron that performs aerobatics at speeds up to 700 mph at the event each year, left the Bay Area earlier Monday and will perform in air shows in three more U.S. cities before the end of the month.
In 2013, the Blue Angels did not fly during SF Fleet Week because of federal sequestration cuts that led to the cancellation of military outreach events nationwide. In 2014 and again this year, the Blue Angels came back to the Bay, as did the crowds.
According to the San Francisco Fleet Week Association, the event attracts millions of visitors to San Francisco and generates more than $10 million in annual revenue for the city.
The San Francisco Fleet Week Association has not released how much taxpayer money or private funds were spent on this year’s event.