Operation Christmas Drop

{{about|the tradition|film based on the tradition|Operation Christmas Drop (film)}}

{{Infobox operational plan

|name = Operation Christmas Drop

|image = Cargo drops from a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft over the Pacific Ocean toward a landing zone on the shore of Kayangel Island during the 62nd annual Operation Christmas Drop Dec. 11, 2013 131211-F-NA975-171.jpg

|image_size = 300

|caption = Supplies are dropped over Kayangel in Palau, 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

}}

Operation Christmas Drop is a tradition that started in 1952 that serves as a training mission for the U.S. Air Force. It has since become the longest-running U.S. 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, and targets Micronesia.

Description

The drop is the oldest ongoing Department of Defense mission which remains in full operation,{{cite news|title=US troops conduct 'Operation Christmas Drop' with care packages raining down on Micronesia|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/us-troops-conduct-operation-christmas-drop-with-care-packages-raining-down-on-micronesia/2011/12/16/gIQAvFPWxO_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015624/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/us-troops-conduct-operation-christmas-drop-with-care-packages-raining-down-on-micronesia/2011/12/16/gIQAvFPWxO_story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 February 2019|access-date=17 December 2011|newspaper=Washington Post|date=16 December 2011}} and the longest running humanitarian airlift in the world.{{cite news|last=Morgan|first=Clarissa|title=Operation Christmas Drop delivers supplies to Pacific islands|url=https://www.andersen.af.mil/News/Articles/story/id/123071202/|access-date=17 December 2011|website=Anderson Air Force Base|date=10 October 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024200747/http://www.andersen.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123071202|archive-date=2007-10-24}} By 2006, more than {{convert|800000|lb|kg}} of supplies were delivered. The operation gives troops the chance to practice humanitarian aid drops, which they may later be expected to conduct during deployment.

Volunteers from Andersen Air Force Base, including 734th Air Mobility Squadron, 44th Aerial Port Squadron and both crew and aircraft from the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, participate in the operation. Members of the Guam community also help the operation.{{cite news|last=Griffin|first=J.D.|title=Volunteers complete annual Operation Christmas Drop|url=https://www.af.mil/News/story/storyID/123036009/|access-date=17 December 2011|website=U.S. Air Force|date=21 December 2006|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212030538/http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123036009|archive-date=12 December 2012|url-status=live}} Money is raised for the operation by sponsored activities such as golf tournaments and sponsored runs, as well as local businesses sponsoring individual boxes. (As of December 2024, the Anderson website calls for the donation of specific items such as antifungal cream and canned food to the boxes, though the page hasn't been updated since December 2021. The page of the private organization calls for both monetary and material goods donations.{{cite web |title=Ways to Support! |url=https://www.operationchristmasdrop.org/ways-to-support |website=OCD |language=en}})

The local 'Operation Christmas Drop' private organization leads fundraising activities. The Denton Humanitarian Assistance Program authorizes the military to perform humanitarian shipment on behalf of private organizations.{{cite web |title=Operation Christmas Drop |url=https://www.andersen.af.mil/ocd/ |website=www.andersen.af.mil}}

Each box dropped from a C-130 aircraft weighs nearly {{convert|400|lb|kg}} and contains items such as fishing nets, construction materials, powdered milk, canned goods, rice, coolers, clothing, shoes, toys and school supplies. The containers are dropped in water just off the beaches in order to avoid them hitting the locals. In the modern form, about 40 tons are dropped per year.{{cite web |title=Airlift Santas delivered 39 tons of gifts, supplies during annual Christmas Drop |url=https://www.stripes.com/branches/air_force/2024-12-19/operation-christmas-drop-2024-16214863.html |website=Stars and Stripes |language=en}}

Air crew communicate with target villages through ham radio. The operation is militarily classified as a Low Cost Low Altitude (LCLA) airdrop, which means that existing resources and repurposed personnel parachutes are used to build supply bundles for cheap, and drops are performed at low altitude for accuracy. The specific type of LCLA is called Coast Humanitarian Air Drop (CHAD).

History

File:Xmas drop.jpg

The operation was first conducted in 1951, when 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.{{cite news|last=Leslie|first=Carlin|title=Operation Christmas Drop, cheer from above|url=https://www.pacaf.af.mil/News/story/id/123283451/|access-date=17 December 2011|website=Pacific Air Forces|date=13 December 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604101611/http://www.pacaf.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123283451|archive-date=2012-06-04}}

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'".{{cite news|last=Robson|first=Seth|title=Yokota resident recalls memories of Operation Christmas Drop|url=http://www.stripes.com/news/yokota-resident-recalls-memories-of-operation-christmas-drop-1.163013|access-date=17 December 2011|website=Stars and Stripes|date=9 December 2011}} 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.

The 2006 operation saw 140 boxes dropped to 59 islands. The 2011 operation included dropping twenty five boxes of IV fluids to Fais Island in order to combat a local outbreak of dengue fever.

In 2014, The Pacific Air Forces delivered 50,000 pounds of supplies to 56 Micronesian Islands.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0G6XKBrrJM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/u0G6XKBrrJM |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Operation Christmas Drop 2014|date=14 January 2015|publisher=Yokota Air Base|access-date=8 February 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

In 2015, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the Royal Australian Air Force participated in the operation along with the United States Air Force. Japan and Australia each provided one C-130 Hercules to join the three C-130s provided by the United States.{{cite web|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/12/14/national/aussies-japan-join-u-s-air-force-pacific-island-christmas-food-toy-drop-started-1952/#.Vm7ezEqDFBc|title=Australia, Japan join U.S. Air Force in Pacific island Christmas food, toy drop that started in 1952|work=The Japan Times|access-date=8 February 2016}} {{cite news |author= |title=Australia, Japan join U.S. Air Force in Pacific island Christmas food, toy drop that started in 1952 |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/12/14/national/aussies-japan-join-u-s-air-force-pacific-island-christmas-food-toy-drop-started-1952/#.WhAuJ0tx2CR |work=Japan Times |date=December 14, 2015 |access-date=November 18, 2017}} {{cite news |url=https://www.yokota.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/773845/operation-christmas-drop-showcases-hadr-training/ |title=Operation Christmas Drop showcases HA/DR Training |last=Mekpongsatorn |first=Melissa K. |date=December 17, 2015 |website=Yokota Air Base |access-date=November 18, 2017}} {{cite web |url=http://www.airliftmagazine.com/ocd2015/ |title=Operation Christmas Drop showcases HA/DR Training |date=December 2015 |website=Airlift Magazine |access-date=November 18, 2017 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201030429/http://www.airliftmagazine.com/ocd2015/|archive-date=2017-12-01}} {{cite web |title=The 2015 Operation Christmas Drop |date=December 2015 |url=http://www.micronesia.emb-japan.go.jp/nikokukan/The%202015%20Operation%20Christmas%20Drop.pdf |website=micronesia.emb-japan.go.jp |access-date=November 18, 2017}} {{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzQ0jL5R09k |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/zzQ0jL5R09k |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Japan Air Self-Defense Force of Operation Christmas Drop |date=December 18, 2015 |publisher=US Military Channel |access-date=November 18, 2017 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} The JASDF and RAAF also participated in the 2016 {{cite web |title=Operation Christmas Drop: Behind the Scenes |url=http://www.dla.mil/AboutDLA/News/NewsArticleView/Article/1028004/operation-christmas-drop-behind-the-scenes |last=Presentado |first=Cierra |date=December 12, 2016 |website=Defense Logistic Agency |access-date=November 19, 2017}} and 2017 operations. {{cite web |url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=103734 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212204811/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=103734 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 12, 2017 |title=Operation Christmas Drop 2017 in Full Flight |last=Mediola |first=Tanya |date=December 12, 2017 |website=Official Website of the United States Navy }} {{cite web |url=https://news.defence.gov.au/media/media-releases/operation-christmas-drop-2017-concludes |title=Operation Christmas Drop 2017 concludes |date=December 17, 2017 |website=Defence News |publisher=Australian Government Department of Defence |access-date=June 7, 2018}}

December 2017 marked the inaugural training event for the new C-130J from Yokota AB as well as the first quad-lateral event with the JASDF, RAAF and Philippine Air Force.{{cn|date=May 2019}}

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Micronesian president David Panuelo opted out of the 69th Operation Christmas Drop in 2020.{{cite web |title=Federated States of Micronesia opts out of annual US military humanitarian mission due to Covid-19 concerns |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/432131/federated-states-of-micronesia-opts-out-of-annual-us-military-humanitarian-mission-due-to-covid-19-concerns |website=RNZ |access-date=4 December 2020 |language=en-nz |date=4 December 2020}} According to master sergeant Anthony Biecheler, the drop will continue as planned over the Republic of Palau and the US Air Force has taken extensive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from the deliveries.{{cite web |last1=Lloyd |first1=Bruce |title=Operation Christmas Drop isn't canceled |url=https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/local/2020/12/01/operation-christmas-drop-guam-isnt-canceled/3789614001/ |website=Pacific Daily News |date=December 2, 2020 |access-date=4 December 2020}}

In 2021, the Republic of Korea Air Force participated for the first time.{{cite web | url=https://mnews.sbs.co.kr/news/endPage.do?newsId=N1006574577 | title=[단독] 공군, 미군과 첫 '크리스마스 공수 작전' | date=December 19, 2021 }}

In 2023, the Royal Canadian Air Force participated for the first time.https://twitter.com/RCAF_ARC/status/1735315833646174638 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}

In media

Operation Christmas Drop is fictionally portrayed in a Netflix film of the same name. The film debuted on the platform on November 5, 2020, and stars Kat Graham and Alexander Ludwig.{{Cite web|last=Roeper|first=Richard|date=2020-11-05|title='Operation Christmas Drop' a military-grade holiday romance on Netflix|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2020/11/5/21547908/operation-christmas-drop-review-netflix-movie-holiday-kat-graham-virginia-madsen|access-date=2020-11-07|website=Chicago Sun-Times|language=en}}