Senior Airman Kiersten Fausto, 377th Security Forces Group unit training manager, poses for a photo at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., Nov. 22. Fausto organized Team Kirtland’s participation in supporting one of the DOD’s largest and longest humanitarian mission, Operation Christmas Drop. ( photo by Senior Airman Ruben Garibay)
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. – Six thousand miles west of the United States, stands an island within the Mariana Island Chain that is no more than 30 miles long, and no bigger than nine miles wide. The Island of Guam is home to the saying, “Where America’s Day Begins”, and home to Senior Airman Kiersten Fausto, 377th Security Forces Group unit training manager.
“Whenever I ‘m in uniform, I’m Senior Airman Fausto, but back home, I’m just Kiersten or Kier,” Fausto explains. “The island, the people, it’s just… home. It’s where my heart is.”
Fausto joined the military in 2022, leading him to be stationed at Kirtland Air Force, N.M., a very different environment than he was used too back on the Island of Guam. Prior to enlisting, he recalls his past relationships on the Island of Guam with servicemembers.
“I remember my friends who were in the military talking about Operation Christmas drop,” Fausto reflects. “I started to picture where Kirtland could fit into this. The military is all about one team, one fight. So, I started planning and getting together with different organizations both here and on outside of Kirtland to see what and how we can participate.”
Since 1952, Operation Christmas Drop is one of the DOD’s largest and longest humanitarian missions and this is the first time Team Kirtland will participate it. Multiple installations and organizations from around the world gather supplies, bundle them in packages, and drop them from C-130s.
Members from various units around Kirtland donated hundreds of items to contribute to the thousands of donations gathered. “I did not expect the boxes to be so full, “Fausto exclaimed as he drove around base to collect the donation boxes. “I’m just blown away at Kirtland’s willingness to contribute to something so important to me and to the people of Guam.”
Many of the donations include canned foods, first aid kits, hygiene products, batteries, tools, books, school supplies, fishing gear, and more.
On remote islands where accessibility to the mainland is limited and resources/supplies are scarce, every single item donated holds great value to the recipients of these packages.
“Even on the main island of Guam, we have no big stores like Walmart or Target,” says Fausto. “At most, we have a Kmart. That’s a big reason why these humanitarian missions are important. We are making sure islanders from around Guam receive those non-perishable items and things needed.”
This is why the military spearheads this effort. With the ability to strategically drop the packages in specific locations over a span of 300 miles, testifies to their skillset of the Air Force of always hitting the mark.
“It’s not just about me being from Guam,” Fausto adds. “It’s the fact that I am able to bring a little bit of my new home back to where I grew up. Coming together and collecting all these items is just amazing and it truly embodies the Air Force’s core values.”
Long after Fausto moves from Kirtland, he hopes that this tradition is upkept, and Team Kirtland actively participates in Operation Christmas Drop, every year.
