“Those Marines were really tough out there,” said the young boy, Nerf gun in his grasp.

“They were impressive, coming out with their guns flying and running around in circles and trying to shoot them with Nerf guns, it wasn’t that easy,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony Burton.

“They’d all gang up on our guys and I know I got shot once over a shield with the way the bullets fly.”

Taking part in a “fun and games” foam ammo-fueled gun battle with local kids in the community in which they’re stationed abroad is something the United States Marine Corps has done frequently over the years. It’s aimed to boost morale and lay down a solid foundation with the families they’re sharing the region with. Not only does it put a smile on the faces of hard-working, hard-training Marines, but the children — as evidenced by the two videos below — get a huge kick out of it.

The first clip comes from Sigonella, Italy. The second from Yokosuka, Japan.

“It’s important to show the community and the kids and everyone that ‘yes, we are Marines, we’re trained to go into battle but we also have a soft side — we’re human just like everybody else and we like to have a good time.”