Staff Sgt. Akellius Lorden shows children from AIEC International Preschool the fire truck and his firefighting gear inside a hangar at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Japanese and American preschoolers and their parents got an inside peek at a UH-1N helicopter, C-12 aircraft and fire engine during a tour of Yokota’s 459th Airlift Squadron on Friday. (Christopher B. Stoltz / Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — The 459th Airlift Squadron threw open its hangar door on Friday for a group of Japanese and American preschoolers from nearby Fussa.
About 40 children ages 3-5 and parent volunteers from the Association for International Early Childhood (AIEC) International Preschool got an inside peek at a UH-1N helicopter, C-12 aircraft and a fire engine during a tour of the Yokota unit.
The visit was arranged through Capt. Thomas Higgins, a UH-1N pilot, and his wife, Anna, a key organizer of the event. Their daughter is a student at the school.
“It’s been awesome. We probably had more fun than they did,” said 1st Lt. Danny Bolin, 25, of Knoxville, Tenn., also a UH-1N pilot with the squadron. “When I’m not flying, I’m behind a desk all day. We don’t fly all the time. This is a trip.
“Some kids jump in the pilot’s seat and go crazy. Others get up there, then start looking for mom. … It’s been great.”
About 20 children from Yokota attend the school, which features an all-English curriculum. The students have taken part in several exchanges with base residents, including field trips.
Staff Sgt. Akellius Lorden shows children from AIEC International Preschool the fire truck and his firefighting gear inside a hangar at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Japanese and American preschoolers and their parents got an inside peek at a UH-1N helicopter, C-12 aircraft and fire engine during a tour of Yokota’s 459th Airlift Squadron on Friday. (Christopher B. Stoltz / Stars and Stripes)
First Lt. Danny Bolin shows Zion Omorefe the cockpit of a helicopter inside a hangar at Yokota Air Base. (Christopher B. Stoltz / Stars and Stripes)
Staff Sgt. Akellius Lorden helps Ron Ohno, 5, get out of the fire truck inside a hangar at Yokota Air Base. (Christopher B. Stoltz / Stars and Stripes)
