The U.S. Navy is bringing its Strike Group mixed-reality STEM experience to pocono raceway during NASCAR weekend from June 12-14 in Long Pond. The display gives attendees three hands-on simulations tied to Navy careers, with students and young adults the clearest audience.
Rear Adm. James P. Waters said in a Navy statement, "A STEM career in the Navy provides a life-changing experience filled with adventure, teamwork, and support, and the 'Strike Group' brings all these aspects to life." The attraction is built to show how science, technology, engineering and mathematics fit into Navy work, not just in theory but through interactive play.
All Hands on USS Gerald R. Ford
One simulation places visitors aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier using Meta Quest 3 headsets. In All Hands, participants have to complete a five-person mission to launch an F-35C Lightning II fighter jet, which turns the attraction into a team exercise instead of a solo demo.
That setup matters because it ties the Navy's recruiting message to a task that cannot be finished alone. The exhibit is not built around passive viewing; it asks visitors to work through a mission and see how cooperation shapes the result.
Dive and Achieve at Long Pond
Dive shifts the focus underwater, where visitors respond to storm damage as a Navy diver and carry out a repair mission. Achieve takes a different route, using a personality assessment to match participants with possible Navy career paths.
Visitors who go through Achieve also receive an AI-generated image showing themselves in their recommended role. The Navy says the experience is meant to give students and young adults a realistic look at technology, teamwork and career opportunities in the service.
Waters and Navy Recruiting
Waters, the commander of Navy Recruiting Command, framed the experience as part of a larger skills message. He said, "From the depths of the sea to the heights of the stars, America's Navy is the most highly skilled, technologically advanced military force in the world," linking the exhibit to the service's broader recruiting pitch.
For race weekend visitors, the practical takeaway is simple: the Navy's setup will be on site at Pocono Raceway from June 12-14, and the exhibit is designed to let them try the careers message rather than just hear it. The attraction reaches beyond a standard recruiting display by putting the mission, the training and the career match in front of the people most likely to use it.
