JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI --
The U.S. Air Force and regional allies and partners are set to participate in the 67th iteration of Operation Christmas Drop in the south-eastern Pacific Dec. 10, 2018.

During the week-long international humanitarian effort, Pacific Air Forces Airmen from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; and Yokota Air Base, Japan, will work side-by-side with allies from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, the Philippine air force and the Royal Australian air force to execute low-cost, low-altitude air drop training.

Operation Christmas Drop is an annual event delivering food and tools provided by private donors, charitable organizations and the University of Guam to approximately 20,000 people residing on more than 56 remote islands in the south-eastern Pacific, including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

Operation Christmas Drop began in 1952 when locals on the island of Kapingamarangi waved at the aircrew of a passing WB-50 Superfortress, prompting the crew to gather, pack and parachute goods to the islanders.

Nearly seven decades and more than 1 million pounds of charitable goods later, the 2018 missions are set to carry on this tradition of international goodwill.