YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Freshly planted periwinkles resting in their new home at the foot of a tree bed beneath the bright pink banners lining Route 16. The sound of cars speeding by fill the air, hands covered in fresh earthy soil, the summer sun beaming down its light, shining through the lingering clouds leftover from an overcast morning. A bag of recently pulled weeds lay to the left, the original flower pots to the right, just another few city blocks of planting to go.

For the members of Team Yokota who volunteered their time to join members from the neighboring city, Fussa, for the Fussa Beautification Project, this was their two day long adventure into the world of gardening.

Sixteen Airmen from the 374th Communications Squadron Operations Flight took it upon themselves to team up with local nationals over two days to do something special, planting flowers throughout Fussa, Japan, May 14 and 17, 2018.

“As I was kneeling down in the dirt planting my flowers” said Amy Kristoffersen, 374 CS OF client systems technician journeyman. “Cars would pass by, and with each passing car came a set of eyes peering out at me and my fellow volunteers. Those eyes were almost always accompanied by a smiling face.

“It felt really good to be able to make so many people happy all the while making friends with our fellow neighbors as we made the community a prettier place.”

The event allowed individuals a chance to give back to their home away from home, for others it boiled down to simply being the right thing to do.

“I think the FBP was a great chance to show the people in the local community that we care about them,” said Staff Sgt. Stephan Mimms, 374 CS OF client systems technician craftsman. “Even though we are just coming through for a few years we can still take the time to make a positive impact. That is exactly what we had in mind when we decided to team up with the city for this event.”

With that positive impact made, the volunteers from both Yokota and the city saw firsthand what they were capable of when they worked together.

“Together we came out and really made a difference,” said Haley Ellis, 374 CS OF client systems technician journeyman. “We may not have shared a common language but we undoubtedly had a common goal. That common goal led us to accomplish our goal rather quickly and left us all feeling incredibly gratified.”

Despite some of the volunteers time in Japan coming to a close as they prepare to move on to their next duty station, the flower planting offered them an opportunity for a final thank you and farewell.

“Japan has just meant so much to me on a personal level,” said Kristoffersen. “I will always appreciate the Japanese culture, how the people are so sweet and trustworthy and how safe I have always felt in this country.

“I hope today was good for the local community. Even after I leave here, I’ll always feel a sense of pride when I think of the flowers, knowing full well we planted them together. If anything I wish I could have done more while I was here to help repay the hospitality that has been shown to me. Japan, thank you for being my home away from home.”