ANDERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Peter Nguyen, Aircrew Flight Equipment Journeyman, left, shakes hands with Chief Master Sgt. Katie McCool, Pacific Air Forces command chief, after being coined for excellent performance during Operation Christmas Drop 2024 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Dec. 10, 2024. The tradition began during the Christmas season in 1952 when a B-29 Superfortress aircrew saw islanders waving at them from the island of Kapingamarangi, 3,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. In the spirit of Christmas, the aircrew dropped a bundle of supplies attached to a parachute to the islanders below, giving the operation its name. Today, airdrop operations include over 58 islands throughout the Pacific.

Andersen Air Force Base

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