Touring the USS Kearsarge for Fleet Week

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - All aboard the USS Kearsarge, which is in New York for the 29th annual Fleet Week.

Fleet Week is a chance for men and women in the military to meet with the country they serve and also represent what they do every day, according to Erik Refsland, a sailor in the U.S. Navy.

What they do every day is no joke. And they've got the equipment to prove it. Cpl. Daniel Meinen of the Marines demonstrated some of the weapons they use, including mortars, howitzers, and rifles. But don't worry -- nothing is loaded.

More than 3,700 sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen from several vessels docked along the Hudson River. The service men and women will be in town for the long Memorial Day weekend. They remind us that home is free because of the brave.

Hundreds of young kids and grownups came to visit the ship to soak it all in. They learned how the machinery works and what these men and women of the sea do on a day-to-day basis.

Boys aren't the only ones fascinated by the ship's gear. Women taking part in fleet week said they hope to inspire young girls, too. Sailor Caitlin Armstrong said she tells younger girls that the Navy needs more women. "I like to plant that seed," she said.

Fleet Week ends on Tuesday when all the ships head back to their homeports.