Service members from the U.S. Navy stationed on Okinawa joined other military branches and the local community in participation in the annual Naha Dragon Boat Races, May 5, at Naha Port in Naha City, Japan.

Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps personnel all participated in the event to show their Dragon Boat spirit, despite being dwarfed in numbers compared to the more than 50 local and national Japanese teams. Each branch of the military had both a men's and women's team.

"I am honored to be part of the team representing the U.S. Navy in showing respect for this local tradition," said Capt. Rob Mathewson, commanding officer of Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa, and boat team member. "This is a small way the U.S. Navy demonstrated to the local Okinawan people and the government of Japan how important our alliance of mutual defense is for the security of our two great nations."

Dragon Boat racing, or Hari, has been taking place since the 14th century and was adapted by the Okinawans from the Chinese. Teams of 32 rowers man slender fiberglass and wooden boats for a grueling course in which each boat tries to beat the others to the finish line. The boats are decorated to look like dragons; colorful and fierce. Training starts months ahead of time, with rigorous physical and mental exercise and practice.

The event concluded the week-long Japanese holiday known as Golden Week, in which the island, as well as rest of Japan, celebrated four national holidays.

Thousands of people attend the festivals in Naha every year as part of Golden Week, often concluding their holiday with the Dragon Boat race spectacle.

"To have military teams participate in the Dragon Boat races helps build camaraderie between the two nations," said Navy boat team member Yeoman 2nd Class Timothy Wimer, of CFAO's Administration Department. "To show our presence, engage in their culture, and to understand what it means to be on a dragon boat team, gives the military and the Japanese a chance to share something on a more personal level."

For Yeoman Seaman Dashaun Clark, also from CFAO's Administration Department, participating in Dragon Boat racing gave him a way to meet new people and find common interests.

"The training that goes into these races can be very demanding," said Clark. "But in the end, building relations with the Okinawans made all the effort worth it."

At the conclusion, the U.S. Navy men's team earned a respectable 3rd place win, while the first place title went to the Okinawan powerhouse team Ganazu.

Navy Sailors, as well as the other branches of the military on Okinawa, continue to help foster positive relations with the Japanese daily through a myriad of festivals, training, community projects and sports. It is the events such as these that help strengthen the close relationship the U.S. has with longtime partner Japan.

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