Commander, Fleet Activities Chinhae (CFAC) Sailors and civilians welcomed hundreds of Jinhae residents during an open base event, April 2.

The community building event, conducted annually in conjunction with the week-long Jinhae Gunhangie Cherry Blossom Festival, featured Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) events, food, and games for the family.

“We feel privileged to live here in South Korea and to be guests in this nation,” said Terry P. McNamara, commanding officer of CFAC. “We don’t often get to do events like this, so we love giving back to the community by opening our base and sharing its beauty along with the various MWR events for the children.”

For many visitors, touring CFAC was the highlight of the festival.

“I have lived in Jinhae for 14 years,” said ROK Lt. Kim, Yu-Suk. “This is the first time I’ve experienced this [U.S.] base, and I had a great time. I think this will help further the trust and cooperation between the U.S. Navy and the community.”

McNamara agreed with Kim and volunteered that one of his priorities as commanding officer is to continue strengthening the bond between CFAC and Jinhae.

“A big part of our mission is fostering a strong relationship with our allies,” said McNamara. “We’re proud of our bond with the community that shares this little slice of heaven with us.”

First held in 1952 to commemorate the ROK naval hero Admiral Yi Sun-shi, the Cherry Blossom Festival has grown into one of the largest events in South Korea with 3 million people visiting during the week-long event.

Commander, Fleet Activities Chinhae is the only U.S. Navy base on the Korean peninsula and strengthens the maritime partnership and interoperability with the ROK Navy while enhancing security and cooperation.