Local hero embodies 'kizuna'
Takuya Kanto, a civilian firefighter with the 35th Civil Engineer Squadron, far right, sits with other 35th CES firefighters and citizens from Rikuzentakata Village, Japan, Dec. 22, 2015. Kanto and other 35 CES Airmen often visit villages like Rikuzentakata, areas devastated by the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, to provide food and assist with clean-up projects, further strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and Japan. (Courtesy Photo)