Children enjoy NSF Dahlgren firehouse activities.

Some may have even learned how to repair a vehicle or how to write a commercial jingle. But a lucky few from Dahlgren learned what lots of folks want to know – how do you shoot down a satellite?

How can we transport injured soldiers across impossible terrain and get them to safety? How do Sailors learn how to shoot those giant guns on Navy ships?

Dahlgren’s version of Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day offered a little something for all interests. More than 100 children ages 6 – 15 from all commands at Dahlgren accompanied their parents to demonstrations in various technical programs across the base, as well as touring the commissary and Cannonball Lanes bowling alley and learning about career and safety training from the fire department.

The ‘‘Real American Heroes” demonstration, given by Brian Dillon of Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division's W12 department, informed children of a few of the major technological advances being made everyday at Dahlgren. He showed a video that introduced the ‘‘Land Warrior”, a soldier of the future that carried a laptop in a pack on his back while looking into a small computer monitor that hung down in front of one eye. He also introduced them to the ‘‘Crusher”, a 4-wheeled autonomous vehicle designed to carry heavy loads while navigating all types of terrain. The vehicle, named after the effect it had rolling over cars, could even serve as an ambulance for an injured warfighter. ‘‘The Crusher has a GPS. You tell it where to start and where to end, and it will get where it needs to go,” said Dillon.

He also asked the children what happens when a Navy plane with a pilot has a problem. ‘‘The pilot could get hurt,” said one of the children. Dillon showed the children a small unmanned aircraft that could accomplish the same mission without endangering a life.

At the NSWCDD Main Range, children weren’t allowed into the Range station because of daily firing activity, but toured an indoor gun testing facility and learned about gun magazines. ‘‘I asked my children what they thought a magazine was, and they said something you read,” said Nora Aftel, who works in G61 Dept. of NSWCDD and coordinated the tour. ‘‘Then I explained about our magazines, used as ammunition storage areas.”

Children also were introduced to a number of small arms, such as an AK-47, M-16 machine gun and grenade launcher. ‘‘These are important,” said Donnie Preston of NSWCDD’s G61 department. ‘‘We test the effects of these weapons on body armor to make sure it’s strong enough to protect” the warfighter, said Preston. Humvees are also tested to provide the best protection for those inside.

Nancy Bowser and Russ Waggy took children and their parents to the back of the bowling alley to show them how bowling balls were retrieved and pins were reset. Afterwards, many stayed to bowl and have lunch.

Matthew Hornbaker of NSWCDD’s Z21 department educated children on what the chemical-biological program does and how the children’s interest in science and chemistry could turn into a fun job at Dahlgren. He explained that his department works to help protect the U.S. against chemical and biological weapons. ‘‘Our country decided we don’t want to use these kinds of weapons, but other countries still do,” said Hornbaker. One of the functions of his department is to test shoes, gloves, and other individual protective devices against chemical and biological agents. He also related how his department had developed a gel that is being used by the forestry department to set backfires and help fight wildfires.

He then called on Max Lupton, a chemical engineer, who, in his lab coat with a beaker trailing vapor, proceeded to educate the children on liquid nitrogen and its affects. Lupton immersed a banana in the liquid and then used it as a hammer to drive a nail into a board. Three other chemical engineers helped the children perform litmus tests by checking the pH levels of a number of different liquids, including tap water from the base.

Regina Flanders, an 11-year-old Parkside Elementary School student and daughter of Lorraine Flanders of NSWCDD’s C53 department, enjoyed exploring chemistry. ‘‘I want to try to do more experiments at school,” she said. The fifth grader would like to be a pharmacist when she grows up.

Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense shared a video documenting the recent mission that destroyed a disabled satellite and kept it from crashing to Earth and possibly doing harm. Rock music accompanied video of sailors on the USS Lake Erie (CG 70) precisely timing the shot. Scott Perry, director of Strategic Communications & Alignment for Aegis BMD, likened the work done at his command to baseball, and asked two children to join him up front. He pitched several nerf baseballs at once and the children took a swing. He asked them why they swung at the ones they did. ‘‘Because I could hit it,” said one of the children, and Perry explained destroying missiles is very similar.

The ‘‘Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day” program began over 15 years ago and serves as more than just a career day. It shows children the value of their education, helping them discover the power and possibilities associated with a balanced work and family life. It also provides them an opportunity to share how they see the future and to begin steps toward their goals.