Naval Supply Officer Doug Mackenzie serves lunch at Horizon Elementary.

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Every year, Fort Lauderdale hosts Fleet Week, an eventwhere numerous U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships dock at Port Everglades and their crews spend time in our community for a week.

Since the tragic events September 11th, Fleet Week has had to cancel the public tours of the vessels in port – much to the dismay of military enthusiasts. This year, however, the U.S. Navy and Fleet Week officials welcomed hundreds of Broward County Public School students with open arms.

Students were given guided tours of many of the ships in port, including the U.S.S. Cole, which is the destroyer that was the victim of a terrorist attack while refueling off the coast of Yemen. The students learned about the ins and outs of what it takes to run a Navy warship – they even got to visit places few human beings have ever visited, including the CIC (Combat Information Center) where the ship is run during military engagement.

The students leaned first-hand from sailors what it takes to be in today's Navy. The lessons haven't changed much over the years – good grades, staying on the right path and doing the right thing are the hallmarks of not only good students, but good sailors as well.