Think the Navy would pass up a good recruitment opportunity while the sailors are in town? Think again, cadet. The Navy and Army have set up a parking lot full of attractions and advertising right across the street from the Rose Festival grounds.
"We've been there any time they have a military-related event," says Navy Spokesperson Anthony Popp. "At those events, recruiting is a key component."
Another Navy spokesperson, who asked not to be named because she's an independent contractor, says that the activities are "geared toward awareness" rather than direct recruiting, although "about three or four people express interest every year." She says that the level of interest depends on the weather.
Stop by and you can enjoy the same physical fitness test given to Navy SEAL candidates, a glorified dunk tank, some mobile flight simulators and a modified Chevy Suburban with four built-in video game consoles. "The video games aren't all combat-related," says the spokesperson. "We have Guitar Hero."
The SEAL Tour and Dive Tank are "national assets," which roam the country wooing boys who like toys. Some of the events are taking off this weekend, but if the weather holds, the Navy rock band makes an appearance on Sunday afternoon.
