Six Airmen from the Manas Air Base Outreach Society donned Santa caps and visited children at a hospital and passed out presents, generated cheer, and sang Christmas songs.

Master Sgt. Dan Cline and seven other Airmen left Manas Air Base with toys gathered by family and friends. They traveled to the center of Kyrgyzstan’s capital city.

“My family sent care packages of toys, but most of it came from a school project organized by a teacher,” Sergeant Cline said. “They’re going to be so happy to know the gifts made these kids happy,” said the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing firefighter.

The gifts weren’t the only thing that made the children happy. Along with the presents, balloons, paper roses and airplanes also brought smiles.

“Without medicine, by talking to (these Airmen), by having these Airmen here, (the children) feel better,” said the hospital coordinator Dr. Damira Baizakova. Also, “It gives them emotional support during this hard treatment.”

The Airmen also built a new playground for the children at the hospital through the donation of off-duty time and labor.

In the area surrounding Manas International Airport, MABOS has spent more than 100,000 hours and $55,000 building “long lasting” friendship with the community,” said Col. Randy Kee, 376th AEW commander.

“If we can win the hearts and minds here maybe we can help these people understand the goodness of our Airmen and of the American people,” the colonel said.

Upon entering the room, a couple of children sat directly by their American friends. Recognizing Staff Sgt. Ezer Garcia as one of the Airmen who had been there before, a little girl made a beeline for him and sat directly by his side.

“It’s taken a little while to warm up to us but now they run in and sit on our laps,” said Sergeant Garcia. He is a firefighter crew chief deployed here from Offutt Air Force Base Neb.

“The American people have very kind hearts,” Doctor Baizakova said. “They are very good friends and they love children. The children feel this love coming from the soldiers.”

For many of the children, the strangers from a country half way around the world are their only visitors, sparking one child to say he wants to join the U.S. Air Force when he grows up.

But right now, learning how to sing “Jingle Bells” with his friends will do just fine.