Sailors and Marines embarked family members to experience a life-at-sea cruise, also known as a Tiger Cruise, aboard the San Antonio class transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) as they transited homebound to San Diego.
Twenty-five Tigers boarded the ship in Pearl Harbor and sailed across the eastern Pacific Ocean over eight days, living alongside their loved ones in an operational environment.
“This is my first Tiger Cruise and also my first introduction to the Navy,” said Morgan DeSilva, sister of a Sailor onboard. “Prior to this, I really had no understanding of the ins-and-outs of ship life so it's been very eye-opening.”
Family members had to adjust to the change in lifestyle and limited space.
“Now that I’ve lived in a bunk, eaten chow, lived the day-to-day life aboard a ship, I've heard the struggles of people in the Navy and the Marines and I think I understand the pressure of being a part of the service and what that requires of person,” DeSilva continued. “I'm honored to be a family member supporting somebody in the Navy and having the opportunity to support her in person.”
Throughout the journey, the Somerset team hosted various trainings and evolutions to create a true-to-life experience of daily life aboard a U.S. Navy vessel.
“I honestly thought that after about seven days I'd be ready to get back to land, but the excitement hasn't stopped,” said Jason Spurlock, a brother of a Sailor onboard. “I cashed in all of my vacation days and then some; no regrets at all. It's been an experience of a lifetime, I'll value this experience for the rest of my life.”
Events encompassed every aspect of the ship to include flight operations from the helicopter tower, landing craft evolutions in the well deck, driving the ship at the helm, on-hands damage control “Olympics”, Navy and Marine Corps weapons familiarization, live-fire exercises, and various tours of ship and vehicle capabilities.
“When everybody asks, what's been your favorite part so far? The most amazing thing for me on this trip was the people,” said Lewis Blankenship, father of Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Andrew Blankenship. “Every person has been so helpful and informative and willing to answer questions, I feel a lot better about the ship as a group because I see how well you guys work together.”
Along the way, Tigers completed a tailored personnel qualification standard (PQS) to help guide and educate even the youngest Tiger cub.
“It was an unreal, awesome experience knowing that you're making core memories for your kids that they're going to take with them forever,” said Maj. Robert Flahive, deputy staff judge advocate for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and father of two Tigers. “They're going to always appreciate the time they see me after six months, but they’ll also appreciate the unique experience that the Navy and Marine Corps team here provided for them to experience just a little bit of what we did while we were deployed.”
For Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Andrew Blankenship, this was a special moment heading home alongside his father.
“It's been nice welcoming my dad into my everyday world,” said Blankenship. “And I think the thing that sets it over the top for me is not only am I coming home to family, but I’m coming home with family.”
A Tiger Cruise allows service members to acquaint their family members with their ship and shipboard duties, and is intended to promote morale and a sense of pride in the Navy.
Somerset returned home Aug. 13 to San Diego after a seven-month deployment with embarked Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in the U.S. 7th and 3rd Fleet areas of operation. More than 1,400 Sailors and Marines participated in a wide range of joint and combined exercises, showcasing the ready and responsive combined-arms team of the Navy and Marine Corps, capable of responding quickly and decisively to a wide array of military operations.