Madison native returns home for Huntsville Navy Week

MADISON – U.S. Navy sailors and government employees from across the fleet are in Alabama this week for Huntsville Navy Week, Apr. 21 to 27, volunteering in the community and discuss why the Navy matters to greater Huntsville area.

While many of them are from all over the country, this Navy Week will carry special meaning for visiting civil servants from the area, including Devyn Guillebeaux, a native of Madison.

Guillebeaux graduated from Bob Jones High School in 2014. Additionally, Guillebeaux graduated from the University of West Alabama in 2020 with a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications and from Auburn University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in business.

Upon joining the civil service, Guillebeaux quickly found that many of the skills and values forged in Madison were the same as those needed to succeed as a civil servant.

“Growing up in my hometown, I learned the importance of community, hard work and looking out for the people around you,” Guillebeaux said. “It was a place where everyone knew each other, and no one succeeded alone. My hometown taught me that leadership starts with service, and that’s a lesson I carry with me every day.”

Guillebeaux, who joined the civil service five years ago, is assigned to Chief of Information (CHINFO), the headquarters element for Navy public affairs located in Washington, D.C.

“I decided to work as a civilian for the Navy because I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself,” Guillebeaux said. “I wanted to serve a purpose rooted in protecting our country, supporting our allies and standing up for the values we hold dear. It’s about being a part of a team that contributes not just to national security but to the broader story of what it means to be American. Now, as we prepare to celebrate the Navy’s 250th birthday and look ahead to the nation’s semiquincentennial, my service has taken on a deeper meaning. It’s about honoring the history of the world’s most powerful Navy.”

Guillebeaux is participating in the first Navy Week hosted by Huntsville and the eighth time the Navy Week program has visited Alabama. Navy Weeks are a series of outreach events coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO) designed to give Americans an opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity.

“Participating in Huntsville Navy Week is incredibly meaningful to me because Huntsville is home,” Guillebeaux said. “It’s where I was raised, where my values were shaped and where so many of the people who influenced my journey still live. Being able to come back in uniform and represent the Navy in the community that helped make me who I am is a full-circle moment. It’s also a chance to show the people of Huntsville, especially the younger generation, what’s possible. I want them to see that someone from their hometown can go on to serve, lead and make a difference. It’s not just about telling the Navy’s story; it’s about showing how that story connects to our own, right here in Alabama.”

Today, Guillebeaux serves as a public affairs specialist.

“As a Navy Public Affairs Specialist at CHINFO, no two days are ever the same,” Guillebeaux said. “One day, I might be drafting strategic communications plans tied to major Navy initiatives, and the next, I’m helping prepare senior leaders for interviews, writing speeches or coordinating messaging around national- level events. Working in the Pentagon is kind of like being in the control room of a very large, very important ship, except the walls don’t move, but the pace definitely does. But at the heart of it, my job is about connecting people.”

Guillebeaux has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during civil service.

“One of my proudest accomplishments working with the Navy has been helping shape how we tell our story, especially through major initiatives like the Navy’s 250th birthday and the upcoming semi-quincentennial events,” Guillebeaux said. “Being part of the team that’s crafting how we communicate our legacy, our global impact and our relevance to the American people today has been incredibly rewarding.”

Guillebeaux is grateful for the Madison community and for those who helped make a career as a government employee.

“I’d like to send a huge thank you to my friends and family back home in Huntsville, especially my mom, Nichole Guillebeaux,” Guillebeaux added. “She’s been my biggest cheerleader from day one. Also, a shoutout to the teachers, coaches, former colleagues and mentors in the community who poured into me over the years. Your support and belief in me made a lasting impact. I carry Huntsville with me in everything I do.”

Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort into areas of the country without a significant Navy presence, providing the public a firsthand look at why the Navy matters to cities like Huntsville.

“As we celebrate 250 years of naval tradition and excellence as a maritime nation, we recognize that it’s not only the world’s most advanced weapons systems, but more importantly, our highly skilled Sailors—at sea and ashore—who provide an unmatched advantage in promoting global security, deterring aggression, and safeguarding the American way of life,” said Cmdr. Julie Holland, director of the Navy Office of Community Outreach. “Bringing Navy Week to Huntsville—an epicenter of innovation, space exploration, and defense— creates a meaningful opportunity to connect with a community whose values of service, science, and national security deeply align with those of the Navy.”

Huntsville Navy Week events include a Navy Week proclamation and kickoff ceremony at the Space and Rocket Museum; Military Night at the Trash Panda’s baseball game; Hazel Green High School NJROTC Showcase; Floyd E. “Tut” Fann State Veterans Home; Cocktails at the View at Burritt on the Mountain; Panoply Arts Festival; Huntsville Comic and Pop Culture Expo; Arbor Day 5K Race; College Beach Volleyball Championship; Lowe Mill ARTS and Entertainment; Huntsville City Football Club and free live music at venues throughout the city performed by Navy Band Southeast. Sailors will also volunteer with organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs; Downtown Rescue Mission; Manna House Food Distribution; Huntsville Community Drumline; Next Step Farms; Food Bank of North Alabama; 305 Eighth Street Community; Habitat for Humanity; Operation Making a Difference; Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Huntsville Botanical Garden, among others.

Foralistof publicevents, visit www.outreach.navy. mil/Navy-Weeks/Huntsville- 2025.