A Whidbey Island Naval Air Station hangar usually reserved for the serious business of Prowler maintenance became a playground for kids Friday, as the base hosted “Tiger Day.”

The community service event was open to all military families with members on active deployment. This year, that means many children came with just one parent, while the other is on deployment.

Coordinator Jolie Spada, Liberty and Operation Uplift manager, likened the event to a “take your child to work” day.

“It’s a great way to give back to the children, and answer questions about what mom and dad do at work,” she said.

VAQ-140 Lt. Cmdr. Brent Phillips steadied the climbing rope while his son Tyler, 6, attempted to scale a climbing wall erected in the cavernous hangar.

“It’s a nice thing for the kids,” he said about the event. “The guard becomes a person they know when they see their smiling faces here.”

In addition to the climbing wall the event featured a Navy search and rescue helicopter, a base security Humvee, complete with roof-mounted gun, a Prowler and P-3, an ejection seat, a parachute sling hung from the ceiling and a T-Rex Dragon inflatable jumping toy.

Activities for kids were going on all over the base on the last weekday of spring break. There was a one-mile fun run, putt-putt golf, and a free showing of “Treasure Planet” at Skywarrior Theater.

As children and parents swarmed around them, Marines were busy making dog tags for kids as a fund raiser. Security dogs gave a demonstration of their keen bomb-sniffing skills.

Shane Moland, 9, toured the hangar with his sister Tatiyana, 7, and his parents Bill and Annissa Moland.

Shane thought the search and rescue helicopter was “cool.”

Bill Moland works in the hangar, so it was really a “take your kids to work” day for them — although Moland doesn’t get to play in an ejection seat when he’s working.

Rich Postera, 8, checked out the ejection seat while his sister Avery, 5, and mom Kathy watched. Rich’s dad is deployed on the USS Carl Vinson. For Rich, the event may have been more of a career day than a play day.

“He wants to be an astronaut,” Kathy Postera said.

For the young “tigers” and their parents, coming to the base Friday was a day to play and perhaps forget for a few hours that their parents who normally worked here were gone. When those parents return on the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS Carl Vinson, and other deployments, they will get to hear all about Tiger Day at the base.

You can reach News-Times reporter Marcie Miller at mmiller@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611