On November 30th, twenty-one members of the SMA Civil Air Patrol Cadet Squadron accompanied by Capt Petrucci, Capt Weatherill, and Sgt Major Swiney traveled to Tampa to tour the Marine Corps' 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion on Gandy Blvd.

The cadets were divided into two groups. One group was briefed on, and inspected the weapons used in combat by the battalion's Marines. The weapons ranged from the 45 caliber hand gun to the 40 mm grenade launcher. 

The second group donned body armor vests and kevlar helmets before boarding one of the Battalion's Armored Assault Vehicles (AAV) for a demonstration ride around the complex. The heavy AAV's are traditionally used by the Marines to move troops from Navy Amphibious ships to the beach. In Iraq they are used to transport troops wherever they need to go. After about an hour the two cadet groups changed places.