REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala.--Team Redstone hosted the annual Bring Your Child to Work Day on Thursday, April 22 with static displays and individual organizational activities throughout the arsenal. An opening ceremony began at the parade field at 8 a.m. and was followed by multiple demonstrations. The U.S Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT) had several employees and their children who participated.
Demonstrations were shown from 9 a.m. Aca,!" 12 p.m. regarding first aid/CPR, military working dogs, and the AmericaAca,!a,,cs Army video game. Static displays included a variety of military vehicles, such as Avenger, HMMV-TOW, SLAMRAAM (Surfaced-Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile), as well as emergency services vehicles. There were also organizational displays provided by the Veterans Memorial Museum, Child Youth Services, and the Redstone Fire Department and Environmental Services.
In the afternoon, employees were encouraged to take their children to their own workplaces. At USASMDC/ARSTRAT, more than 30 children from ages 5 to 18 attended afternoon activities. Children and their parents received a welcome from Chief of Staff Col. Kendal Cunningham, who explained how the command is organized and what we do. He also informed the children of how much their parents are valued here.
Aca,!A"We are very proud and appreciative of your parents and what they do to help Soldiers,Aca,!A? Cunningham said. Aca,!A"IAca,!a,,cm glad you get to spend time with them here today and hope you learn about and appreciate what they do.Aca,!A?
Cunningham introduced a short video developed by the Future Warfare Center on Army Space power to show the children about things the Army works on and will work on in the future. He then invited the children to explore the variety of displays and simulations set up in the room by USASMDC/ARSTRAT personnel, many of which inspired the children.
Aca,!A"ItAca,!a,,cs really cool,Aca,!A? said Lauren Wallace, 8, a second-grader at Rainbow Elementary, about the flight simulator she was operating. Aca,!A"The feeling of flying the airplane is just really fun.Aca,!A?
Other children felt the same way about the variety of demonstrations, including the Avenger Table Top Trainer and a Stinger Troop Proficiency Trainer, both provided by the USASMDC/ARSTRAT Simulation Center, as well as about what they saw throughout the day.
Aca,!A"Learning all this missile stuff Aca,!A| just makes me realize my dad has a cool job,Aca,!A? said Makaylla Bullard, an eleven-year-old fifth grader at Columbia Elementary, as she watched her father Aca,!" 1st Lt. Kenneth Washington of G3 Aca,!" test the Stinger simulation.
Besides the joy of sharing this experience with their offspring, USASMDC/ARSTRAT employees recognized the importance of showing them what they do on a daily basis.
Aca,!A"It is important for them to see what is part of our world, so they have an insight to what we do during those hours weAca,!a,,cre away from home, Aca,!A" said Jeff Burnett of G3, grandfather to attendees Lauren and Jordan Wallace. Aca,!A"This is also a great opportunity for them to see the different levels of technology around us, to hopefully spark their interest since they will be the ones taking over these projects eventually.Aca,!A?
Mike Armstrong of the Future Warfare Center had three of his four sons Aca,!" ages 10, 13, and 14 Aca,!" present for the day. Aca,!A"ItAca,!a,,cs important to me that my children see what we do here and get an appreciation for the work that goes on here,Aca,!A? Armstrong said.
Ten-year-old Jon Armstrong, a fourth grader at Endeavor, got the message his father hoped to convey and enjoyed everything he had an opportunity to experience.
Aca,!A"I like everything we did today, and it was great to see how my dad helps to defend Alabama and this good country. I like science and math and all that good stuff,Aca,!A? said the younger Armstrong. When asked what he would like to do when he grew up, he proved exactly how valuable Bring Your Child to Work Day is, as he said without a doubt Aca,!" Aca,!A"well, after seeing this stuff, I want to be like Dad.Aca,!A?
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