U.S. Marines and sailors with BSRF visit local Kindergarten

Photo By Lance Cpl. Tyler Andersen | U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Nathan Defond, a mortarman with Black Sea Rotational Force, participates in an egg-carrying contest with children at Starfish Kindergarten in Constanta, Romania, April 12, 2016. Community relations projects in Romania allow Service members to engage in cultural exchanges with the host nation community and build better relationships with the local community. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler A. Andersen)  

CONSTANTA, ROMANIA

04.12.2016

Story by Cpl. Tyler Andersen 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa     

MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, ROMANIA -- U.S. Marines and sailors with Black Sea Rotational Force partnered with U.S. Army soldiers to participate in a community relations project at Starfish Kindergarten in Constanta, Romania, April 12, 2016.
Community relations projects impact partnerships with NATO Allies by allowing Service members to engage in cultural exchanges with the host-nation, fostering better relationships and providing a genuine connection with the local community.
Roxana C. Taranu, a linguist for BSRF and helped to coordinate the event with Starfish Kindergarten staff, said Service members interacted with teachers and three to six-year-old children at the local school. The previous rotation of BSRF Marines and sailors were not able to reach out to local schools for new COMREL opportunities.
This year after Taranu spoke with U.S. Navy LT Saul L. Burleson, the chaplain with BSRF, she said he was very open to the idea and with a little effort from both the BSRF team and school staff, they coordinated the event.
The intent of the experience for Burleson was twofold, he said.
“This cultural exchange provided ‘soul-care’ for our Service members by getting them involved in a human element with Romanian’s. It benefits relations with our host nation by strengthening ties in more ways than just military-to-military, “said Burleson.
We are making an effort to form a genuine connection with the people of their community and at the end of the day it helps our mission for a better tomorrow, said Burleson.
“Things like this are important because it helps [Romanians] better understand our military presence; people get to see the human and personal side of military Service members and the fact that they actually interacted with the kids helps our partnership immensely,” said Taranu.
Interacting with U.S. Service members allowed the children to see them as role-models as well as approachable human beings, Taranu said. The kids looked at them as if they were older brothers and sisters.
“The kids actually felt comfortable in their presence and everything that they did; the singing and baking; the over-arching theme was obviously partnership,” said Taranu.
Before entering the school, a Romanian teacher served a plate of bread to each volunteer as a traditional greeting for honored guests. Within minutes after entering the school, Marines, sailors and soldiers participated in numerous activities planned by the school staff to bond with the children.
Instructions and guidelines were given by word of mouth, but each event seemed to break a language barrier, communicating thoughts and emotions without words.
“The activities we participated in, it was like speaking a universal language everyone understood,” said Burleson. “Baking apple pies, coloring, finger painting, decorating, dancing, singing songs that were both understood in English and Romanian.” “‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’; each and every one of those things expressed an obvious, genuine and human connection between the kids and our volunteers, and there’s something unique about that human element, connecting the mind and spirit.”
“The impact that this event had on them, they will never forget this day,” said Taranu. “Whenever they see movies from now on, they’ll remember they’ve actually met U.S. Service members and know they are here to help.”
Ultimately, the community relations project added another layer of depth to BSRF engagements, said Burleson. It’ll carry a positive ripple effect in the culture here.

• Date Taken: 04.12.2016
• Date Posted: 04.13.2016 08:25
• Story ID: 195215
• Location: CONSTANTA, RO