Operation Christmas Drop
| Operation Christmas Drop | |
|---|---|
 Supplies are dropped over Kayangel atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia, 2013. |
|
| Location |
Micronesia |
| Objective | Distribute Christmas gifts in Micronesia, train American service men and women, provide a trilateral training opportunity for Pacific allies. |
| Date | 1952 – present |
| Executed by |
 United States
|
| Outcome | Ongoing |
Operation Christmas Drop is a tradition that serves as a training mission for the United States Air Force which started in 1952. It has since become the longest running United States Department of Defense mission in full operation, and the longest running humanitarian airlift in the world. Supported by the local communities of Guam, it is primarily conducted from Andersen Air Force Base and Yokota Air Base.
The operation was first conducted in 1952. Then, the aircrew of a WB-29 aircraft assigned to the 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, formerly assigned to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, was flying a mission to the south of Guam over the Micronesian atoll of Kapingamarangi. When they saw the islanders waving to them, the crew quickly gathered some items they had on the plane, placed them in a container with a parachute attached and dropped the cargo as they circled again.
A witness to the first drop on the island of Agrigan said "We saw these things come out of the back of the airplane and I was yelling: 'There are toys coming down'". At the time the island had no electricity or running water, and the islands were periodically hit by typhoons. Some of the first containers failed to arrive where intended, and islanders swam out to retrieve some, while others were discovered months later some miles away.
Today this unique Christmas tradition is continued with the donations from the residents and businesses of Guam. Each box dropped from a C-130 aircraft weighs nearly 400 pounds and contains items such as fishing nets, construction materials, powdered milk, canned goods, rice, coolers, clothing, shoes, toys and school supplies.
It is the oldest ongoing Department of Defense mission which remains in full operation, and the longest running humanitarian airlift in the world. By 2006, more than 800,000 pounds (360,000 kg) of supplies were delivered. The operation gives troops the chance to practice humanitarian aid drops, as the troops will later be expected to conduct drops over Iraq or Afghanistan after deployment.
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Wikipedia