JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii- Seventeen Soldiers with 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, U.S. Army Pacific, participated in a field day May 15, 2015, as part of the 94th AAMDC's partnership in education with the Linapuni Elementary School at Honolulu, Hawaii.
"On our annual field day, we work to incorporate physical activity in a fun way, making school fun for the students and generally promoting a healthy lifestyle," said Cindy Sunahara, the principal of Linapuni Elementary School. "The military members volunteer to help us put on the events and they play an important role in generating the enthusiasm, making it a fun and good thing while also serving as role models."
The elementary school uses the field day event to encourage attendance and teach important health and fitness life lessons.
"About 90 percent of our kids are from the surrounding housing," shares Sunahara. "They are very disadvantaged kids. One of the issues we face here at Linapuni is attendance and one of the causes of that is health issues, so it is very important that the kids learn that physical fitness is a good thing, a fun thing."
During this field day event, the Sea Dragons engaged in physical activities and fitness inspired games.
"We took part in Linapuni Elementary School's field day, an activity and fitness based day that we do with grades pre-kindergarten through first grade," said Spc. Stanley Fields, an intelligence analyst with the 94th AAMDC and the unit's liaison with the school. "We had all kinds of activities from basketball and football throws to jumping ropes, to hula hoops, and even dance exercise classes."
"At the end and before we left, we took a few minutes to show the kids how we conduct physical training in the Army," shared Sgt. 1st Class Jessica Hamilton, the sensor manager noncommissioned officer in charge with 14th Missile Defense Battery, 94th AAMDC. "We demonstrated several exercises and then invited the kids to come do them in formation with us. It was very motivating to see them so enthusiastic and happy to be doing it with us."
For most of the Soldiers, the enthusiastic smiles of the school children were the best part of volunteering for the event.
"My favorite part of the day was interacting with the kids, watching them run and play," said Spc. Darvell Nunnally, a food service specialist with 94th AAMDC. "All of them were very happy to see us. When we are here, they are all waving at us, so proud of the Army and what we do. I definitely appreciate that."
"The best part is definitely the kids' enthusiasm," said Fields. "They all had big, bright smiles on their faces and they seemed like they all were having a lot of fun. They were definitely the real MVPs of this whole field day."
The Sea Dragons not only found fulfillment in the happiness of the children but also in the overall significance of their presence at Linapuni.
"When we are here, it gives the kids an opportunity to see what the Army does besides what they see on TV," said Nunnally. "It also gives the kids an opportunity to interact with us; many of the kids don't get the opportunity to interact like this with adults at home. Their reactions, themselves, show the world that this partnership is a great thing for the kids."
"These Soldiers actually serve as mentors, as like a parental figure, because unfortunately many of our children's parents are unavailable," said Sunahara. "We do a lot of parent/child type activities here and a lot of times parents just aren't there. So when we bring in the military, everyone blends in. It makes an absence less noticeable and the kids have a great time. It is just amazing."
Still many Sea Dragons believe that the time spent at Linapuni is about more than just volunteering, it is about Ohana.
"This partnership is important because the 94th AAMDC is part of this community and so is Linapuni," shared Fields. "That makes the Linapuni family, our Ohana. Just because they don't wear the uniform, doesn't make them less like family to us. That is why it is important to give back to our community and this is a way that we can do that."
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