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For many family members of guardsmen at Montana Air National Guard, what their spouses, grandparents and parents do is a mystery.

Saturday the gates opened up for Family Day, giving everyone a first hand look at what they do.

"It means the world," Chief Master Sergeant James Robertson said. "Especially for the youngsters because they don't know. They see what they see on TV and stuff like that, but they were even up last year and I was working POL at the time and they got to see the jets and they got to see the R-11's and fuel in the jets and stuff."

Robertson said he's lucky enough that his wife works out at base, so she gets to see what he does.

But for his son and grandsons, and other guardsman's families, seeing base once a year is a treat.

"For the other spouses, for them to see what you talk about everyday would be huge too," Robertson said. "And the limited chances these guys get up and access what they've had, to see what grandpa and grandma (do) is awesome."

Kids were able to eat and play all afternoon and even got the chance to feel like real men and women in uniform. But it served as a chance for folks in the community to show their appreciation for what all the men and women up at MANG do each day.

"Ever since 9/11, people have been a little more appreciative and notice a little more their presence and what they do," Erling Juel, President of TD & H Engineering, said. "And why their mission is so important in all the areas of the military."

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