Civilians and military members volunteer their time to package cookies Team Kadena members spent countless hours baking to donate to the Kadena Cookie Caper extravaganza, which provides single military members in the dorms a bit of holiday cheer on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Dec. 13, 2011. The goal for the committee was 30,000 cookies to be donated; that goal was met and passed with a total of 44,000 cookies given to the Kadena Cookie Caper. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Tara A. Williamson/Released)

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Cookies baked with care and understanding of spending the holidays away from home are donated by members of Team Kadena to show their support to the single Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen living in the dorms on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Dec. 13, 2011. This year's cookie drive surpassed 2010 by over 30,000 cookies, which was the intended goal at the start of this year's Kadena Cookie Caper. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Tara A. Williamson/Released)

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Katy Harvey, wife of Maj. Stephen Harvey, 18th Equipment Maintenance Squadron commander, refills cookie bins for volunteers to use as they make bags full of cookies to be delivered to the single military members living in the dorms on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Dec. 13, 2011. A total of 2,500 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen on Kadena, as well as 136 Sailors living on Camp Shields who work on Kadena, will benefit from the kindness Team Kadena has shown with cookies. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Tara A. Williamson/Released)

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Lynn Maucieri, wife of Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Maucieri, 18th Maintenance Group chief, prepares separate bags of a dozen cookies to be delivered to single military members living in the dorms to give them a bit of cheer while having to spend the holidays away from their families on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Dec. 13, 2011. After surpassing the cookie goal by a vast 14,000, the volunteers also assembled cookie trays to be taken to the 18th Security Forces Squadron, military members on the flight line and to the first responders at the fire stations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Tara A. Williamson/Released)

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Cookies baked, packaged and wrapped with the love and support of Team Kadena are prepared by volunteers for the single military members in the dorms spending the holidays away from their families on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Dec. 13, 2011. Over 50 volunteers, both civilian and military, took time to package and tie each dozen cookies to be given to those in the dorms. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Tara A. Williamson/Released)

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Brig. Gen. Matthew Molloy, 18th Wing commander, wife Kati and daughter Sarah, volunteer to package cookies made by Team Kadena to be delivered to single military members spending the holidays away from their families on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Dec. 13, 2011. This year's cookie drive surpassed 2010 by over 30,000 cookies, which was the intended goal at the start of this year's Kadena Cookie Caper. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Tara A. Williamson/Released)

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Flour, sugar, butter, love combine to surprise service members

Published Dec. 14, 2011
By Nicole Williams
18th Wing Public Affairs

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Kadena Air Base may not see much in the way of snow, but it saw a whole lot in the way of cookies.

The task was to collect 30,000 home-baked cookies. The goal -- to deliver 10 to 12 cookies to each of the 2,500 unaccompanied Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen living on Kadena Air Base, as well as 136 Sailors residing on Camp Shields.

The reality was an overwhelming success.

"There's nothing like a cookie to bring a whole base together," said Lynn Maucieri, wife of Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Maucieri, 18th Maintenance Group command chief.

Dec. 12 marked the beginning of a two-day cookie extravaganza, also known as the Kadena Cookie Caper, or KCC. The original intent was to surprise each individual with 10 to 12 home-baked cookies. What actually happened was a whole different story.

Day one of KCC, also known as cookie drop-off day, started at 6 a.m. with gray, gloomy rain and very few cookies. Although Cookie Caper volunteers momentarily fretted, they did so needlessly. By 11:30 a.m., the goal of 30,000 cookies was not only realized, but very quickly surpassed.

The action did not stop there. Throughout the remainder of the day, the cookies just kept coming.

"I've done many cookie drives and this one is just overwhelming," said Katy Harvey, wife of Maj. Stephen Harvey, 18th Equipment Maintenance Squadron commander.

All told, 44,000 homemade cookies were dropped off as part of the 2011 KCC.

"A phenomenal amount of man-hours went in to making these cookies but, it's not just cookies," said Elizabeth Beers, wife of Col. Brian Beers, 18th Maintenance group commander. "It's all the things you think of with holiday baking."

So, what does one do with 44,000 cookies? Sort and package them of course!

On Dec. 13, volunteers assembled festively-wrapped plates of cookies to be delivered. With 44,000 cookies to be wrapped, every volunteer was put to work, including Brig. Gen. Matthew Molloy, 18th Wing commander, along with his wife Kati and their daughter Sarah.

"That's a lot of cookies!" Sarah exclaimed upon entering the Shiraho Room in the Rocker NCO Club, eyes wide with wonder.

"We were very impressed with the amount of cookies," said the general. "It represents lots and lots of love. It's really neat to see Team Kadena come together and take care of our Airmen, especially our unaccompanied Airmen that are far from home. Hopefully it will make the holidays just a little bit more special for them."

"Don't forget the single Marines, Soldiers and Sailors," added Mrs. Molloy.

With the amount of cookies donated, it's hard to imagine anyone was forgotten.

"I just want to go out and shake hands with everyone and say, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you,'" said Beers.