Church, AAFB partner to send gifts to remote Pacific islands

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guam had a chance to participate in this year’s edition of the traditional Operation Christmas Drop, when the U.S. military in Guam drops bundles of supplies in remote islands of the Pacific. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guam had a chance to participate in this year’s edition of the traditional Operation Christmas Drop, when the U.S. military in Guam drops bundles of supplies in remote islands of the Pacific.

Senior missionary couple Phillips, who currently serving in the Micronesia Guam Mission, participated with Operation Christmas Drop by communicating and coordinating donations between the AFB and the church. This gave the opportunity for missionaries and members to have the chance to purchase and fill five of the 209 bundles that were dropped by parachute.

Church missionaries and members fill five of the 209 bundles that were dropped by parachute in this year’s edition of the traditional Operation Christmas Drop. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

During this annual, weeklong operation, military air crews flew eight C-130 cargo planes that airdropped 400-to 600-lb bundles of donated food, educational materials, tools, clothing, toiletries, toys, and other supplies to thousands of people living on tiny, palm tree covered islands in the southeastern Pacific, including the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marianas, and the Republic of Palau, totaling 56 islands that received bundles during this year’s drops, which ran from December 4 through Dec. 13. Children ran with excitement to greet the bundles as they heard the plane’s engines overhead. Once retrieved, the island chiefs laid out the supplies of the bundle then distributed it to their villagers.

Three senior church members were also given the rare opportunity to fly on the planes that delivered bundles to outlier islands of Chuuk, Yap, and Palau.

Elder Jenkins flew on the Santa 31, which dropped bundles over outlier islands of Yap. “Operation Christmas Drop was a huge effort to relieve suffering and bring joy….It was a thrill to ride on the Santa 31 and see the people below anxiously waiting to receive their packages,” he said.

One of the eight C-130 cargo planes that airdropped 400-to 600-lb bundles of donated items in the southeastern Pacific, totaling 56 islands that received bundles during this year’s drops. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Elder Beck and Sister Hill flew on the plane that dropped bundles over the islands of Peliliu and Angaur in the southern part of the Republic of Palau.

Sister Hill tells of how the Marines and Navy Seabees were revamping the runways on both islands. The drop was made in the middle of the partially finished runways on each island.

Elder Jenkins flew on the Santa 31, which dropped bundles over outlier islands of Yap. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

“What was supposed to be a five-hour flight turned out to be six. It was a long flight but it was a lot of fun! I loved watching the bundles go out of the airplane, drop down with the parachutes, land in the middle of their partially finished runway, and see the people running to the boxes to open them up.”

Barrigada Guam Stake members contributed to the drop as they donated toys and other items in boxes located in meeting houses on the island of Guam.

For 71 years, Andersen Air Force Base in the tropics of Guam has continued its long running tradition of dropping love from above. Operation Christmas Drop is the Department of Defense’s longest-running humanitarian airlift operation, which began unofficially back in December of 1951 when the crew of a WB-29 Superfortress bomber noticed people waving at them from Kapingamarangi in Micronesia. In the spirit of Christmas, the aircrew dropped a bundle of supplies attached to a parachute to the islanders below, giving the operation its name. A tradition was born.

The aerial delivery enables both USAF and partner nation aircrew the training necessary to develop and maintain combat readiness through aircraft generation and recovery, while delivering donations provided by private donors, charitable organizations, and the University of Guam, to over 22,000 residents across those remote islands in the region. This training mission is not only a tradition but provides relevant and real training necessary for the airmen and partner nations in the Indo-pacific region.

The weeklong international effort allows U.S. Pacific Air Forces airmen from the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan; the 36th Wing, Andersen AFB, Guam; Republic of Korea Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force to participate in this year’s Operation Christmas Drop. (PR)