DSCC buzzing with activities as kids celebrate Take Your Child to Work Day

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Under overcast skies the Defense Supply Center Columbus’ Take Your Child to Work Day kicked off with an orientation in the building 20 auditorium for the more than 150 children ages 9-17 and their parents. Speakers shared details about the day-long schedule of planned activities while Sparky the Fire Dog and McGruff the Crime Dog provided light-hearted entertainment for the crowd.

DLA Land and Maritime and the Defense Finance Accounting Services hosted the event with DSCC installation staffers coordinating many of the logistical services, to include bus transportation that provided rapid access to the numerous installation-wide activities.

Acting Commander James McClaugherty focused his welcome remarks on the importance of the jobs the installation’s men and women perform in support of the nation’s defense. “Our theme today is about the heroes in our lives and your parents or the adult(s) who brought you here today are definitely heroes,” McClaugherty said.

“Be excited about learning what your mom or dad does to help the nation. And remember - you don’t have to wear a uniform to defend the nation. We want you to gain a better understanding of what your parents do while you’re visiting us today.”

McClaugherty encouraged the kids in the audience – reminding them that they’ll be the next group of heroes who will be leading our nation during the next 10-20-30 years. He said without heroes we don’t have the dreams to keep us going, so hug your mom or dad and thank them for what they do for this nation and remember to have fun today.

Activities included safety presentations to raise awareness, physical activities like dodgeball, basketball, jump rope, four square and more kept the kids and parents engaged. The event included food trucks and a directorate sponsored grill area set up in DSCC’s Mission Park to help stave off the appetites worked up through participating in the day’s activities.

Children also got an opportunity to shadow their parents to get a real-life look at what kind of work their parents actually do when they leave home in the morning. As the shadowing opportunity was going on a smaller group got to visit Land and Maritime’s Electronics Testing Lab where more interactive activities captured their imagination.

The Test Lab group got to build model components from clay, work with basic measuring instruments to make determinations about material structure, purpose and other technical specifics.

Land and Maritime Contract Specialist Felicia O’Neal brought her two sons, Kyran and Saadiq with her and spoke positively about how really well the event was set up. “There were experts stationed at each stop during the tour to explain to the kids how everything worked, what the vehicles were, and how the jobs that are being done at DSCC play an important part in getting equipment and supplies to the people who need them,” O’Neal said.

Both Kyran and Saadiq spoke proudly about being able to attend the event and see what their mom does every day and how important her work is. Kyran said the military vehicles were his favorite part because they were so huge.

“The lab was my favorite part of the tour,” said Saadiq. “I liked seeing the computers and how they can make sound show up on a monitor. I learned some really cool stuff today, like how a tank weighs as much as three elephants.”

Wrap up of the day long activities was less structured as parents and children filed out of the building in small waves. There was still much animated chatter in the elevators and hallways about the visit to DSCC and learning how important their parents’ jobs are in supporting the nation’s security.