Petty Officer 3rd Class Cody Thorpe, a rescue swimmer at Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Mich., conducts a rescue hoist demonstration with middle school students from Koka, Japan, Jan. 9, 2012.

The students were given a tour of the air station as part of their one-week visit to Traverse City, Koka's "Sister City" since 2006.

U.S. Coast Guard photgraph by Lt. j.g.. Jim Okorn