Padres visit SEAL base

Being the Team of the Military has its perks.

The Padres enjoyed one such perk this week when several players, coaches, staffers and family members spent Thursday afternoon touring the U.S. Navy SEAL training base at Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado.

Check out photos of the visit on a padres.com slideshow.

Padres Vice Chairman/CEO Jeff Moorad headed a Padres contingent that included team President/COO Tom Garfinkel, manager Bud Black and players Kevin Kouzmanoff, Chris Young, Chase Headley, Luke Gregerson, Nick Hundley, David Eckstein and Clayton Richard.

The group was greeted by Rear Admiral Gary Bonelli, Deputy Commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Bonelli briefed the Padres contingent on the mission and history of the Naval Special Warfare Command.

The Padres group then toured the base, including the famed SEAL obstacle course, where they watched recruits challenge the course.

Members of SEAL Team 5 then gave the Padres visitors a briefing on the tools and weapons used by SEALs to accomplish their mission, including sniper rifles, underwater ingress equipment, inflatable boats, door-breaching equipment and parachutes. Hundley is shown in the inset photo getting a close look at a sniper rifle.

After a firearms safety briefing, the Padres group got the chance to go to the indoor practice range and actually fire various weapons used by SEALs.

The tour ended with a group photo with the Padres group and members of SEAL Team 5, who were such gracious hosts.

FJ

(Photos taken by Padres team photographer Chris Hardy)