Twenty-five Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Soldiers plus Sailors and Airmen from the Military District of Washington gave their time for the betterment of physical education June 6 at Arlington's Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

A student body of 700 participated in International Game Day, an event where kids took part in games from close to 20 different countries. The games tested student balance, strength, speed and athleticism but also gauged the kids' fun meters.

"This is a celebration of our students," said Jefferson principal Sharon Mondé. "We work with the kids on academics, but this is a fun day to go along with our international studies here at the school. We want the kids to feel it and enjoy it. This is an all-school activity, and this idea [of international games] came out of the P.E. department."

JBM-HH Commander Col. Carl R. Coffman was on hand to witness bottle-balancing races and tug-of-war matches, and Headquarters Bn. Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Jessup took the opportunity to jump rope during the morning event. "That was a fun day," the sergeant major said.

In the school auditorium, students witnessed performances from Lesole's Dance Project, which featured the customs and the culture of South African dance. In all, children from over 50 countries attend Jefferson Middle School, which is located approximately one mile from Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.