DECEMBER 13, 2024 – The 73rd Operation Christmas Drop continues to be an important annual tradition with a long history of providing humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and needed assistance to remote populations in the Pacific, Dec. 12, 2024.
What began in 1952 with a single B-29 Superfortress crew dropping supplies to waving islanders on Kapingamarangi has evolved into a massive operation serving more than 50 remote islands across Micronesia, bringing essential supplies, toys and holiday cheer to about 20,000 people.
The annual mission, now using C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, doubles as crucial training in humanitarian airdrops for military crews while building goodwill throughout a region spanning roughly the width of the continental United States.
Operation Christmas Drop also offers the opportunity and ability to maintain preparedness for real-world emergencies by allowing pilots to practice their low flying capabilities.
Operation Christmas Drop Involves:
- Gathering supplies from multiple installations and organizations around the world.
- Bundling the supplies into packages.
- Dropping the packages from aircraft.
- Aiding remote islands across the Pacific Ocean.
- Training Air Force personnel in humanitarian airdrops.
DOD News