Airmen at Andersen AFB, Guam, and from the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota AB, Japan, planned to make the first drop for the annual Operation Christmas Drop over the Micronesian Islands on Dec. 14. This event marks the 55th year the USAF airmen have collected donations and made the airdrops, providing training for the 374th’s C-130s, over the island chain. And, this year the team planned 74 drops over 71 islands, the largest in the operation’s history.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
