Staff Sgt. Brian Hanson, assigned to the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, with Camp Zama’s Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program, right, shows his radio transceiver to residents at the nearby Seiko Gakuen children’s home. (Noriko Kudo, U.S. Army Garrison Japan Public Affairs)
ZAMA, Japan – Residents at the Seiko Gakuen children’s home here got to experience the Halloween spirit when Soldiers and civilians from Camp Zama visited the home Oct. 30 and passed out bags of candy.
Leading the effort were members of Camp Zama’s Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program, or BOSS, and members of the Logistics Readiness Center – Honshu.
Spc. Desiree Butler, a BOSS member assigned to the 78th Signal Battalion, said the event was a great way to spend time with local children and foster a relationship with the surrounding community by sharing American culture with them.
As the BOSS members handed out candy, the children conversed with them and asked them questions about their jobs, an indication that they were comfortable with being around the Soldiers, Butler said.
She emphasized the importance of building rapport with Japanese children in the community and said the BOSS team is looking forward to the next opportunity to grow that relationship.
“The kids really enjoyed our interaction,” Butler said.
Timothy Guck, a logistics management specialist assigned to LRC-Honshu, said he and his co-workers partnered with the BOSS team to bring some joy to the children while sharing American culture and building intercultural relations.
The outreach event was part of an ongoing commitment to develop relationships with the local community, as Guck’s office visited the children last Christmas and invited them to Camp Zama in the summer.
Guck said the event brought a sense of joy to him and his co-workers getting to see the children’s smiling faces and hear their laughter.
“We want to see the children more than just once a year,” Guck said. “We [are trying] to develop a year-round partnership.”
Hinata Hashino, a fifth grader and resident at Seiko Gakuen, said he and his friends enjoyed the visit.
“It makes me nervous speaking English, but it motivates me because I want to talk to them when they visit us.” Hashino said of the Soldiers and civilians. “My friends and I were very happy to receive candy, and I want them to visit us more.”
