Japanese volunteers assist with Operation Christmas Drop 2010

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Katrina R. Menchaca
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Operation Christmas Drop, an annual training exercise and goodwill mission throughout Micronesia, brings together crews and aircraft from the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, volunteers from across Andersen Air Force Base, members of the Guam community and in 2010, for the first time, volunteers from Japan.

"In the past, the rotary clubs and civic organizations have been instrumental in the gathering of donations and collecting the supplies and it was this past year that we integrated the Japanese nationals," said Col. Mark Hering, the 374th Operations Group commander.

It all started when members of the Tokyo-Tachikawa-Kobushi Rotary Club attended the Rotary District Conference held in Guam last year and listened as Mr. Melner Issac, a Rotarian of the Rotary Club of Pohnpei, made a speech about Christmas Drops.

Mr. Issac told the audience what the Christmas Drop missions mean to him and about his memories of receiving those crucial supplies via airdrop when he was a child growing up on a remote island with little access to the outside world.

"Our members, were deeply moved by the heart-warming story, came up with the idea to make a picture book about the Christmas Drops," said Mr. Shigeru Suzuki, Tokyo-Tachikawa-Kobushi Rotary Club president. He says that he hopes the book will spread the message of Christmas drops to people all over the world.

The proceeds from the book sales are being used to purchase 25 state-of-the-art, low cost, low altitude shoots that will be donated the Christmas Drop Organization to help carry the critical supplies to the islanders. However, the goal of the publication is not only to raise money, but to tell the story of Operation Christmas drops to those who may not be familiar with the generous mission.

"I believe it is very meaningful," Mr. Suzuki said. "This is a different way to support the mission than just a monetary donation, we felt this has a deeper, more important meaning."

Operation Christmas Drop is a tradition that also serves as a training mission for the United States Air Force which started 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.

Today, the 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.