Over 300 family members and friends of Recruit Training Command (RTC) staff members arrived at the command for a Tiger Cruise, May 14.

Guests were treated to a day of fun and relaxation as the command offered a tour of the base, as well as many hands-on activities for the families to give a better understanding of how the Navy transforms civilians into Sailors.

"RTC is a unique naval station that is generally closed off to service members' families; for security and operational reasons, family members are not typically authorized to see where their loved ones work," said Lt. Rob Friebel, Tiger Cruise coordinator. "The Tiger Cruise, a long-standing Navy tradition, is a special day for families to get a glimpse into what their loved one is doing at work all day (and all night), and to deepen their understanding of why they sacrifice so much to support service members."

RTC is composed of 13 "ships" that serve as both training facilities and berthing areas for recruits. There are also three drill halls, a number of office buildings for staff members, and several other training facilities that include USS Trayer, USS Marlinespike, USS Wisconsin, USS Chief, Freedom Hall and the Golden Thirteen -- where recruits are taught basic skills such as line handling, live-fire, damage control, physical fitness, firefighting and water survival.

Sailors assigned to RTC joined their families and friends for a tour of some of these spaces. After a safety brief and quick demonstration, Sailors and their family members were given the opportunity to participate in some of the same evolutions that recruits must pass before graduating from boot camp.

"It gives the families the opportunity to see what we do at RTC," said Sonar Technician (Surface) 1st Class Aaron Nielsen. "It is hard to explain the different aspects of our jobs as [recruit division commanders] unless you physically see the compartment and different things that we talk [about] together."

On USS Marlinespike, Sailors and guests worked together to simulate getting a ship underway by heaving the lines and communicating with each other through sound-powered telephones.

They learned the basics of firearm handling with a 9mm pistol on the base's simulated firing range at USS Wisconsin, and also got to see firsthand how recruits perform PT (physical training) at Freedom Hall.

Tigers got a glimpse of how recruits live while going through basic training during a tour of a berthing compartment in USS Constitution.

The culmination of recruit training takes place on USS Trayer, commonly referred to as Battle Stations. Guests toured this state-of-the-art facility and received a behind-the-scenes look at how recruits use their training and work as a team to complete the mission.

Alex Budden attended the Tiger Cruise with her boyfriend, Nielsen, and nephew, Kyle Konrath, 7, whose favorite part of the tour was the simulated firing range -- where participants were given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with 9mm pistol and 12-gauge shotgun simulators that give an air-pressurized weapon kick when the trigger is pulled.

"This was my second year attending Tiger Cruise; we brought my nephew because he really wanted to come," said Budden. "I think the day is important because it helps me visualize where the recruits are housed and what Battle Stations is like. So, when he talks about work, I actually have an understanding about what he is explaining."

After the tour, lunch was served inside the museum next to Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall, the same building that hosts 48 annual Pass-In-Reviews and over 100,000 friends and families of graduating recruits.

According to Friebel, he was pleased with the large turnout and hopes the families were able to take some lasting memories from the day.

"I hope this Tiger Cruise will foster esprit de corps in families and provide an opportunity for families to network with other families, strengthening the RTC Navy family support system," said Friebel. "Although buoyancy is needed here, they get a special peek behind the curtains consistent with any Tiger Cruise."

Boot camp lasts approximately eight weeks, and all enlistees into the United States Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes physical fitness, seamanship, firearms familiarization, firefighting and shipboard damage control, lessons in Navy heritage and core values, teamwork and discipline.

Today, more than 38,000 recruits graduate annually from RTC.

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For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.