Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 and Sailors from Patrol Squadrons 16 and 46 participated in a community relations project at the Kadena Jido-Kan, or "Youth Center," Sept. 30.

The 12 Seabees and Sailors participated in various cultural and creative activities with elementary students.

One of the main activities that everyone enjoyed was a game of dodge ball with teams of service members mixed in with the children.

"Playing dodge ball with the kids was a blast," said Engineering Aid 3rd Class Miguel A. Holguin. "The time I spent with them brought out the little kid in me."

Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Jaime E. Schanbacher learned how to make an origami heart and how to say a few words in Japanese from a few of the children.

"It was organized chaos," said Schanbacher. "It was a really great experience and a lot of fun." "My favorite part was because it was free range of fun; they had several places to do different activities."

Even though the children couldn't speak English, the service members were able to connect through common music and games. Games such as ping pong, UNO, Othello, jump rope, domino's, and putting together a puzzle.

"It's like having a bunch of siblings," said Electronics Technician 3rd Class Scott E. Smuckergreen. "This is a great way to give back to our host nation for having us here."

NMCB 3 is homeported in Port Hueneme, Calif., and is currently deployed to Okinawa, Japan. Its mission is to support Navy and joint forces throughout the U.S. Pacific Command with construction projects and humanitarian missions in more than 13 different geographical locations.


For more news from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3, visit www.navy.mil/.