Christmas presents came early for remote Micronesian atolls, with a little help from Operation Christmas Drop.
Partner nations came together at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam with six C-130 Hercules to airdrop 210 purpose designed bundle boxes to 58 communities across the North Pacific region.
Each bundle box contained essential goods, including fishing and boating equipment, food containers, first aid kits, toys, books and colouring pencils.
Operation Christmas Drop began in 1952 and this year was the largest on record, with 100 per cent of the bundles delivered on the first attempt.
With the United States Pacific Air Force’s 36th Air Lift Squadron leading the way, participation included aircraft from Japan, Canada and South Korea, and ground support from Australia and the Philippines.
Missions ran for over a week, delivering joy to remote atolls, including Micronesia and Palau.
The Royal Australian Air Force aims to provide 37 Squadron support with a C-130J on average every second year.
This year, there was an opportunity for four members from RAAF Base Richmond’s 37 Squadron to provide observation support in maintenance, and two members from Air Mobility Control Centre (AMCC) to provide air mission planning observation support.
It was AMCC operations’ Sergeant Ryan Massingham’s first experience being a part of this growing multinational operation. He was required to plan and brief a day of missions for all flying participants.
“It was exciting to integrate into the operations team and partner with other nations to deliver this capacity,” Sergeant Massingham said.
“Having this opportunity was a privilege, as we all had knowledge to offer each other and could take a collaborative approach to problem-solving.”
This ‘goodwill’ operation also improves interoperability and communication between nations in readiness for future humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, with opportunities for low-level and airdrop training to unfamiliar locations.
The Hercules is an ideal aircraft for this type of operation, capable of long-range missions to reach the remote islands from Guam, plus the cargo space needed to transport the bundle boxes safely.
Spreading some early Christmas cheer was something Sergeant Massingham was grateful for.
“It felt amazing to be part of making people’s Christmas by delivering the supplies they need,” Sergeant Massingham said.
