NEWPORT, R.I. –
Roughly 250 youngsters, ages 9 to 17, and 150 parents and guardians participated in Bring a Child to Work Day on June 27, which is designed to introduce family members of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport employees to the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) work conducted on a daily basis at the warfare center.
“The displays and interactions with our future scientists and engineers are critical to inspiring the next generation,” Commanding Officer Capt. Chad Hennings said about the annual event. “The effort that NUWC Division Newport puts into this day is second to none in my experience.”
The event kicked off with morning colors, a military tradition that dates back to 1797 with the Royal Navy and was adopted by the U.S. Navy in 1843, Hennings explained. Members of Division Newport’s Military Detachment raised the American flag before the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at 8 a.m. sharp.
A popular event was a visit to the Submarine Bridge Trainer, a state-of-the-art system that allows Sailors to virtually navigate harbors worldwide from atop the submarine sail. Located in a two-story space, the IMAX theater-like trainer provides a 360-degree horizontal and 70-degree vertical dynamic visual simulation for users, with a real-life sea state aboard a submarine.
Adam Dai, a software engineer in the Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Systems Department, invited his daughter to Bring a Child to Work Day and said the event is beneficial not only for children, but also adults. Other stops for Dai and his daughter included the Materials Laboratory, the Anechoic Chamber, and an annual favorite, the Acoustic Wind Tunnel.
“I think it’s awesome because we work on our own thing and we don’t often get a chance to see other departments’ stuff, whether we’re too busy or have too many meetings,” Dai said.
Dr. Lynn Antonelli, an engineer in the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, led a laser demonstration, where attendees learned about refraction, diffraction and polarization.
Marian Lee, a technician in Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Systems Department, brought his two sons, who said they enjoyed the experience. Jacob Lee, age 14, particularly enjoyed seeing his pulse being measured on a large screen by a laser after engineer Nicole Dusang, an employee in the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, placed a small piece of reflective tape on his neck that bounced the light back to an interferometer.
“It’s really cool because you get to see the vibrations when people are talking or swallowing, which is projected on the screen,” said Jacob, a rising ninth-grader at Ledyard High School in Connecticut. In terms of future plans, Jacob said he might follow in his dad’s footsteps.
“I’m thinking about possibly working here, or possibly at Electric Boat,” he said.
Another highlight was the laser maze, where participants attempted to get through the course unscathed while the theme from James Bond movies played in a darkened room.
Mindy Darosa and Maddy Doherty, engineers in the Undersea Warfare Platforms and Payload Integration Department, provided an overview of the differences between the Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles. Bill Santosuosso of the Undersea Warfare Platforms and Payload Integration Department explained the work done with the Submarine Launcher System Test Facility, and support contractor Jason Valdes offered a demonstration of how the three-inch countermeasure launcher works.
Before firing the launcher, Valdes warned attendees the machine emits a booming noise that rattles the building and cautioned them to plug their ears with their fingers. But the blast wasn’t too bad, said some of the attendees.
It was a family affair at the Missile Electronic Simulator Engineering Facility for Sarah Brown, an engineer in the Undersea Warfare Platforms and Payload Integration Department, who brought four children, including her son Isaac, age 17. The family spent a significant amount of time with the Embedded Systems team exploring the basic electronics and software used for testing equipment. Isaac took a particular interest in the Tomahawk Missile Simulator, used to mimic missiles before they are launched.
“I’m looking at that thing right there and wondering how much data you need with a ribbon cable that big,” he said, pointing at the simulator.
Children also got to see some of the simulation software used by the U.S. Navy to train Sailors and build prototypes. The Virtual Worlds exhibit was designed like a video game, where participants were represented by an avatar in search of hidden pieces to build a submarine model.
There was also an opportunity to learn how whales, dolphins and other marine mammals interact with the environment. Several members of the Environmental Branch of the Corporate Operations Department guided attendees through multiple stations to view skulls, vertebrae, ribs and fins and encouraged hands-on interaction with various activities to help understand the point of view of marine mammals.
NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher's Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.