HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) – Students at Huntington High School got the chance to learn more about the Army National Guard on Friday.

“Mission Day” is an Army National Guard program designed to give students perspective on what it’s like to become a member of the West Virginia Army National Guard. The program focuses on juniors and seniors, offering them a learning experience they can take into account for their futures.

“We have it all. And it’s a good start for people, even in high school, that just aren’t sure what they want to do, or if they’re, sure we give them a good foundation to start their path,” said Sgt. 1st Class Devon Smith with the WV Army National Guard. “A lot of people, when they think about military, they think about, you know, getting a rifle or something in their hands and having to go off and fight. And what we actually do in the National Guard is way more than that in our communities. We’re helping out our local citizens and stuff like that. And we’re letting them see kind of what we do.”

According to the WVNG, the mission of Mission Day is protecting our nation.