U.S. Department of Defense

12/12/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 12/13/2024 20:20

Bringing Joy to the Pacific

What began in 1952 with a single B-29 Superfortress crew dropping supplies to waving islanders on Kapingamarangi has evolved into a massive operation serving more than 50 remote islands across Micronesia, bringing essential supplies, toys and holiday cheer to about 20,000 people.

Humanitarian Assistance
Two airdrop bundles containing humanitarian goods descend from the ramp of an Air Force C-130J Super Hercules over Fassari, Federated States of Micronesia, Dec. 10, 2024, in support of Operation Christmas Drop.
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Credit: Air Force Senior Airman Natalie Doan
VIRIN: 241210-F-GS842-1163
Santa of the Sky
Air Force Maj. Chase Hessman, an instructor pilot assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, flies a C-130J Super Hercules toward Fassari, Micronesia, Dec. 10, 2024, during Operation Christmas Drop.
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Credit: Air Force Senior Airman Natalie Doan
VIRIN: 241210-F-GS842-1011X
The annual mission, now using C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, doubles as crucial training in humanitarian airdrops for military crews while building goodwill throughout a region spanning roughly the width of the continental United States.
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Operation Christmas Drop Involves:

  • Gathering supplies from multiple installations and organizations around the world.
  • Bundling the supplies into packages.
  • Dropping the packages from aircraft.
  • Aiding remote islands across the Pacific Ocean.
  • Training Air Force personnel in humanitarian airdrops.