SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Airmen, from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at an air base in Southwest Asia, hosted a cultural exchange with host nation representatives April 23 at a Texas-style barbecue event on base, complete with cattle roping and line dancing.
More than 250 Airmen and coalition partners were in attendance at the oasis of tents, bolstering the U.S military solid relationship with host nation military members for three and a half hours.
"One of the things the force support squadron does is plan events, so it was easy to throw Texas games, entertainment and food together," said 1st Lt. Jesse Johnson, 379th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron sustainment services flight chief.
A team of 11 EFSS volunteers assembled tents, tables, chairs and decorations, and set up the several games to provide entertainment, said Lieutenant Johnson, who is deployed from the 21st Force Support Squadron out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Civil engineers built the dance floor, setup portable toilets and lighting, and built a 'bucking barrel' arena. Communications technicians setup and manned the music system.
"We all work together to get these events going. Without communications or civil engineers, it wouldn't have been a successful event," said Lieutenant Johnson.
The mission support group team effort was possible thanks to a lot of hard workers with good attitudes, the Cromwell, Ind. native said.
"It went great," said Lieutenant Johnson. "I heard the [host nation] base commander say it was the most relaxing evening he has had in a long time."
"It was a good, fun experience," said host nation representative Lt. Col. A-Kareem, who enjoyed his first time using a lasso to rope the wooden cattle models.
The event was not the only time Airmen with the 379th AEW made a good first impression on the host nation colonel.
"Everyone I have met is friendly," Colonel A-Kareem said of his almost daily interactions with Airmen here.
Several Airmen helped teach dozens of Air Force personnel and a few of the host nation members how to rope cattle.
"I thought the event turned out absolutely amazing! Everyone was very pleased," said Senior Airman Kayla Hemmesch, 379th EFSS Grab-n-Go Flight Kitchen food service specialist deployed from the 3rd Services Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. "This is what makes being in force support so great. After it's all said and done, that one 'thank you' makes all the hard work worth it."
The Spring Hill, Minn. native is just one of many wing Airmen who get a chance to represent Air Force professionalism to host-nation members almost every day at her job.
"They are always happy to see me as well as I am to see them. They're very friendly and fun people to talk with everyday," said Airman Hemmesch.
"I would encourage others to participate or support future events. You get a lot of experience and you never know what opportunities may present themselves by getting out and getting involved. You get to meet new, great people. There's always something to be learned and fun to have in the process," said Airman Hemmesch.
Lieutenant Johnson said the event went so well that plans are already in place to make it a bi-annual event.