Photo By Lance Cpl. Skylia Waters-Hewitt | A trick-or-treater poses for a photo during the Halloween Extravaganza on Camp Lester,...... read more read more
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CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan -- As the first wave of trick-or-treaters approached our decorated trunk, I felt the excitement buzzing in the air. The parking lot was full of costumes—pretty princesses, anime characters, superheroes, and spooky creatures, each adding to the scene. I saw wide-eyed little kids, and teenagers embracing the thrill of the night. The sound of Halloween music in the background added to the scene and created a spooky atmosphere. I couldn’t help but smile, knowing we were all part of something special that night. It was the Halloween Extravaganza.
The Halloween Extravaganza was an event held by Marine Corps Installations Pacific and Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation on Camp Lester on Oct. 31 to bring military families together, along with the local Okinawa residents, to experience a range of activities on base. There were food trucks, a trunk-or-treat where children could get candy from decorated trunks, a graveyard display, and a resource fair. We were also invited to walk around the housing area for traditional trick-or-treating, giving families the chance to experience Halloween the classic way.
A group of my peers and I volunteered to give out candy from our car trunk, we decorated the trunk in an under the sea theme with a net and table cloth as the sea floor. We used printed out fish and shells to add to the theme. Since there where three of us I used some extra time to walk around and see what some of the other decorations were. The Provost Marshal’s Office canine section parked a cruiser with Cpl Ethan Turner, a military working dog handler with MCIPAC, Headquarters and Support Battalion and his partner, Uraz, a military working dog.
“I volunteered to be here to build relationships within the community, see the kids all dressed up in their costumes, and to show them what we do with our canine section,” said Turner with a smile. “The best part of the night was seeing all the kids enjoy seeing my partner, Uraz, and them interacting with him.”
The cruiser had a padded training suit that handlers wear while training military working dogs. Even though the cruiser wasn’t decorated in a traditional Halloween theme, the suit caught the children’s attention, who were curious about its use. Uraz being there gave the trick-or-treaters an opportunity to learn more about the dogs’ training and the role he plays. Turner gave candy to trick-or-treaters and explained what he does for work, providing an insight to PMO’s K-9 section, alongside the festivities.
“I think it's about being more welcoming and showing openness to the community," Turner said with a smile as he looked at the families exploring all the cars. "Events like these help build trust by giving local residents a chance to see who we are beyond the uniform. It makes it easier for them to feel comfortable with us when they can interact in a fun setting, share a few laughs, and see us as people who care about the community as much as they do.”
I met U.S. Air Force Capt. Erien Babcock, a chaplain with 18th Wing, who volunteered her car for the trunk-or-treat as well, to represent the 501st Legion, a worldwide Star Wars costuming organization comprised of and operated by Star Wars fans.
“The 501st Legion is focused on community service and we all came out here because we are all about community care,” said Babcock as she looked at the kids pointing excitedly at her and her friends. “The best part of the night was seeing how the kids reacted to seeing Darth Vader. When kids get to see characters from Star Wars that are screen accurate, they light up in a special way and get so excited. You get to see a pure joy on their faces and it is a lot of fun.”
Babcock and a group from The 501st Legion dressed up as Star Wars characters.
“Community care and community outreach is paramount to what we do,” said Babcock. “When we are doing cultural exchanges, or getting to know about each other’s cultures it becomes easier to understand each other and I think that’s really important and events like this make that happen.”
The Halloween Extravaganza wasn’t just about costumes and candy; it was about the connection between two cultures coming together as one. Seeing the kids laugh and interact with service members, pet Uraz, or get excited by Darth Vader reminded me how simple, shared moments can help bring us together. Events like this break down barriers and create a bond. Tonight, we weren’t just military or locals, we were a community, coming together to share a little bit of our culture. I realized sometimes, building trust starts with something as simple as handing out candy and sharing a smile.
| Date Taken: | 10.31.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2024 00:29 |
| Story ID: | 485499 |
| Location: | CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Camp Lester Trunk-or-Treat | Halloween Extravaganza 2024, by LCpl Skylia Waters-Hewitt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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