United States Air Force officers dropped by the Marigold Child Care Centre at 58¹/² Lady Musgrave Road last Wednesday afternoon, bearing well-needed hugs and laughter along with other gifts for the children. They were well received.

The soldiers in uniform displayed a gentler side of themselves not often seen, holding the toddlers showering them with affection along with sweet treats. At least 20 volunteers, all men dressed in fatigues, arrived by bus from their hotel with presents out of their own pockets and made the excited children fresh Rice Krispies snacks.

The visit was part of a week-long joint initiative in Jamaica between the US Army and the Jamaica Defence Force, and one regional stop in a knowledge/skills-exchange project dubbed Operation Southern Partner. On Tuesday, the US Air Forces band Blue Steel visited Alpha Boys Home and Immaculate Conception High School band, playing musical medleys and donating instruments. The week ended with a mass medical training exercise at Up Park Camp on Friday.

Instant rapport

There was an undeniable feeling of warmth and instant rapport among the troops and the children at Marigold Child Care Centre. The fact that most, if not all, of the soldiers, who volunteered for the visit, have children of their own, may have played a part in this. "People look at the uniform, and tend to forget that these are real men and women, with families just like everybody else," Nathan Broshear, one of the chief officers said. "People in the military are there because they want to serve; to help people. Ultimately, that's our job. This is a natural extension of that. It just comes naturally."

Manager of the child care centre, Sharon Wiles, seemed pleased with the interaction with the children. "It's a good day," she said. "They like this sort of thing, they like when people come to visit them." Indeed, the children were very excited by all the attention, all 41 of them laughing, giggling in laps and soaking up all the affection.

Dana Willis, the team liaison for Jamaica, said most of the Air Force officers who volunteered to visit the children had done tours in the war-torn nations of Iraq and Afghanistan, so the time spent meeting the little ones was just as special for them as it was for the children.

'People look at the uniform, and tend to forget that these are real men and women, with families just like everybody else.'