FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Royal Canadian Air Cadets from the 232nd (Bighorn), 531st (City of Trail) and 841st (Boundary) Squadrons in British Columbia, Canada, toured Fairchild AFB June 5.

The tour, facilitated in part by the Embassy of Canada in the District of Columbia, began with a mission briefing from Col. Brian McDaniel, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander, and continued with a tour of a KC-135 Stratotanker static display. Additionally, the cadets interacted with base firefighters, observing their mission firsthand.

"This is an amazing experience," said Ryan Encina, a 15-year-old cadet from the 232nd Bighorn RCAC Squadron out of Oliver, B.C. "I have never seen anything like this before. This is what I want to go for in life."

Both the crew members from the KC-135 and Airmen from the fire station understood the impression they could help to make on the foreign visitors.

"Community relations are a large part of our job and we always enjoy the chance to show people what we do and how we do it," said Master Sgt. Bryan Webber, 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron fire and emergency services planning chief.  "It's not every day you get to give a tour and answer questions from (RCAC) cadets. It doesn't matter how old they are or where they are from; getting to play around the fire trucks always makes a pretty good impression."

Canada remains one of America's closest allies, and such tours are designed and enabled in order to foster relationships for future generations of leaders. According to the U.S. Department of State, "U.S. defense arrangements with Canada are more extensive than with any other country."  With cadets as young as 12 years old taking part in the tour, Fairchild's personnel gave some of them a beginning look at the bilateral ties of their respective nations.