A student from the St. Martin School and Integrative Kindergarten high-fives a volunteer at the 30th Special Children’s Day on Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, June 12, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany — The wide-eyed airmen couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing from a hard-charging group of local schoolkids, who were several points up in the opening minutes of a full-court basketball game at the base gym.

The adults hadn’t expected to go all out, but they also didn’t expect the students to have this much game.

“I told our airmen, ‘Be ready. Don’t expect it to be a slow game — they come to play,’” said Master Sgt. Gabriel Diaz, an organizer of Special Children’s Day.

The competition Thursday at this base in rural western Germany was part of a decadeslong friendship between the Air Force and area schools that serve children with special needs.

The first Special Children’s Day was held in the early 1990s. Because it was postponed a few years due to COVID-19, this year marked the event’s 30th anniversary.

A St. Martin School and Integrative Kindergarten student sits in a fire truck on Spangdahlem Air Base during Special Children’s Day, June 12, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)

A volunteer paints a student’s hand during Special Children’s Day on Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, June 12, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)

Students from the St. Martin School and Integrative Kindergarten compete in physical activities during Special Children’s Day on Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, June 12, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)

Air Force Staff Sgt. David Gogev of the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron shows a student from the St. Martin School and Integrative Kindergarten how to operate a robotic dog during Special Children’s Day on Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, June 12, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)

A St. Martin School and Integrative Kindergarten student wears a fireman’s helmet during Special Children’s Day at Spangdahlem Air Base, June 12, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)

Nearly 100 students from the St. Martin School and Integrative Kindergarten in Bitburg — a little more than 10 miles from the base — arrived to enthusiastic applause from about 200 people.

Each child was paired with two volunteers who served as buddies for the day, accompanying them through competitive sports and activities.

“They are being seen here,” said Anne Gierten, vice principal of St. Martin School. “They love the competition, they love to come together with their buddies, they love the attention from other people.”

Games included a ball toss, a balance-beam challenge and a bowling-style event where children swung a ball on a string to knock down pins.

Organizers described it as a “Special Olympics-style” event.

“To have Spangdahlem Air Base involved with the community this extensively is a phenomenal experience,” said Master Sgt. Janet Poit, one of this year’s organizers, speaking on the sidelines of the event. “It’s amazing to see that we can reach the children. Their smiles are just amazing.”

Senior Airman Tyler Boyd, a civil engineer on base, said this was his second time participating.

“The reason I do Special Children’s Day is because I like to see kids happy,” Boyd said. “It makes my day to see them smile.”

After the morning competitions, the children enjoyed lunch and outdoor activities, including face painting and operating a $250,000 robotic bomb disposal dog.

A student from the St. Martin School and Integrative Kindergarten pretends to use an unloaded anti-tank missile launcher while his classmate holds an inert grenade during Special Children’s Day on Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, June 12, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)

One outdoor stand that drew some surprised glances from German chaperones featured weapons the children were allowed to handle.

An American volunteer placed an unloaded anti-tank missile launcher on the shoulder of a boy named Henry, who wore a baseball cap that read “Welcome to the Jungle,” and pretended to fire.

The afternoon featured the basketball game, which many participants described as the highlight of the day. A DJ kept the energy high and students in the stands cheered loudly.

Diaz said the school’s team also had been strong last year and pulled off a win. The St. Martin students won this year, too, 58–56.

“It’s a feel-good day for the kids, and it’s a feel-good day for the volunteers,” Diaz said. “On the volunteer side, we get caught up so much in the mission, this gives us an opportunity to break away and let loose.”

Students from the St. Martin School play basketball with a group of airmen during Special Children’s Day at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, June 12, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)

Klaus Rodens, who served as Spangdahlem’s mayor for nearly 30 years, is vice president of the Host Nation Council, which helped fund the event.

Rodens said it was heartwarming to see Special Children’s Day continue from generation to generation and emphasized that its main purpose is to bring joy to the children. It also strengthens the bond between the American and German communities.

“It’s very special,” Rodens said about the local relationship. “I’m not just saying that. We live that.”