Sailors and civilian mariners assigned to the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) attended a community service event at the Sakuraga Oka Challenge Home (SOCH), March 3.

The SOCH is a resident home dedicated to the support and well-being of challenged Japanese citizens and works closely with the Navy to provide cultural interactions with U.S. service members.

"They were really looking forward to seeing the Sailors come and have a good time," said Norikazu Okamoto, SOCH director. "The people here are so pure of heart and the Sailors coming here help them since they do not have many opportunities to go out."

Sailors and civilian mariners interacted with the residents by sharing photos, learning Japanese, dancing, singing and practicing Origami, a traditional Japanese paper craft.

"It's pretty fun, even though there is a language barrier," said Religious Programs Specialist 3rd Class Lester Williams. "Seeing everyone interact with each other by sharing photos and teaching their respective languages is fun."

Okamoto said that the Navy has been working closely with the SOCH for a little more than 10 years now and the Frank Cable crew wanted to continue that tradition.

"Having a military presence in a foreign country puts us on the spotlight," said Hospitalman Amanda Cordero. "It's important for us to continue to get our faces out there to show we truly care about their communities."

The event ended with songs and dance shared between the Frank Cable crew and SOCH residents and left a lasting impression on the Sailors.

"It was a very humbling experience to be within this community experiencing the Japanese culture and the residents of the challenge home," said Cordero. "It was very rewarding, not just as a Sailor on the Frank Cable, but personally. It was very personal for me and I was grateful to be here seeing the smiles on their faces."

As the Sailors were getting ready to depart, the residents guided them out with smiles on their faces preparing to wave their goodbyes to the crew.

"The Frank Cable crew made everybody happy and that is most important," added Okamoto.

Frank Cable, forward deployed to the island of Guam, conducts maintenance and support of submarines and surface vessels deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility and is currently on a scheduled underway period.

For more information on Frank Cable, visit www.cable.navy.mil or like us on Face book at www.facebook.com/USSFrankCableAS40.