Fort Hood soldiers with the First Squadron tested their gunnery skills Saturday at a live fire exercise, which included the use of a tank and Bradley vehicle.

According to 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Commander Col. Reginald Allen, the training is an important step in preparing for their deployment to Iraq in the fall.

"This is the step that gives them confidence that they can shoot what they see, and they can destroy what they see if they need to do that," Allen said.

This time, however, the soldiers were not alone out on the training field. Dozens of friends and family members watched from a safe distance, as part of a special family day.

As a former soldier, Dianna Fair said she has an idea of what the Army life can be like, but on this day, she came out to Fort Hood to get a feel for what her son's experience is like.

In the process, she was also able to see all of the changes that had occurred in the Army since her service, through displays of equipment and vehicles.

"This is the chance for me to come out to see the advances that they have made in the Army, the protection, especially that they are giving soldiers," Fair said.

It was also a chance for her grandsons to spend quality time with their dad.

"They like to see what dad does," she said. "But they're little boys, they like to honk the horn and make the machines go."

Col. Allen said days like this help ease any concerns that a soldier's family may have before the deployment.

He said it is also a way to build family support for soldiers, which plays an important role in ensuring a successful mission.

"If they have issues at home, it distracts from what they do while they are deployed," Allen said.

According to the First Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Gregg Athey, family involvement in events like this help to keep soldiers in the Army.

"If we can help retain families, if they have an appreciation for what we do, and also build pride in what we do, we feel that we will be able to retain the solider," Athey said.

He said he looks to his own son as an example of what this day means for young children.

"When I was a young captain, I'd done an event similar to this, where he was 5 years old, and he remembered fondly that event," he said.

Now as a student at the University of Texas, Athey's son made the trip out to experience the event again.

"He gave up the parties he was going to to do this, to come up and again witness this type of demonstration." Athey said."Of course, that makes me feel proud too, that he would actually want to see dad in action."

According to 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment officials, events like this are held once or twice a year depending on their deployment schedule.

The First Squadron is just part of the 5,000 soldiers that make up the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

They are scheduled to deploy in the fall.