ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - Senior Airman Craig Bennett, 36th Logistics Readiness Squadron and Operation Christmas Drop Volunteer, prepares a box to be filled with goods and supplies here at Hangar 4 Dec. 7. Fishing nets, tools, construction materials, school supplies, shoes, toys and clothing will be dropped in boxes weighing nearly 400 pounds from a C-130 Hercules to aid people of smaller islands that do not have airstrips or major ports beginning Dec.14. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nichelle Griffiths)

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ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - Chief Master Sgt. James Cornell (left), 36th Maintenance Group Superintendent and Staff Sgt. Lishey Brown, 36th Force Support Squadron, Retirements and Separations pack boxes for Operation Christmas Drop 2008 here at Hangar 4. The organization has received ten of thousands of donations ofitems and over $30,500 in sponsorships.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nichelle Griffiths)

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ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - More than 186 boxes are filled with toys, first aid kits, food and supplies here Dec. 7 at Hangar 4 during the Operation Christmas Drop final box-build. Christmas Drop is the longest running humanitarian campaign in the world and this year marks it 56th year in operation.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nichelle Griffiths)

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ERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -Chief Master Sgt. Steven Jones, 715th Air Operations Group Superintendent, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii loads clothes into one of many boxes here Dec. 7. The final box-build was held here at Hangar 4 in preparation for airdrops to the Micronesian Islands beginning Dec. 14. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nichelle Griffiths)

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ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - More than 186 boxes are filled with toys, first aid kits, food and supplies here Dec. 7 at Hangar 4 during the Operation Christmas Drop final box-build. Christmas Drop is the longest running humanitarian campagin not only in the Air Force, but in the world. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nichelle Griffiths)

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ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - Technical Sgt. Luiz Hernadez and Tech. Sgt. John Kortes, 36th Contingency Response Group Medics fill boxes with clothes here Dec. 7 during Opertation Christmas Drop's box-build. Every year in December, Team Andersen and the 36th Airlift Squadron from Yokota AB, Japan, drop humanitarian supplies donated by the Guam community over the Micronesian Islands as part of a training exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nichelle Griffiths)

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Operation Christmas Drop box build complete

Published Dec. 7, 2008
By Senior Airman Nichelle Griffiths
36th Wing Public Affairs

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Volunteers from Andersen AFB and the local community participated in the final box-build here Dec. 7 for Operation Christmas Drop, the Air Force's longest on-going humanitarian airlift mission.

With only days left, last-minute donations continued to pour in as OCD volunteers worked nearly non-stop to complete palletizing boxes for delivery to the small Micronesian islands.

The volunteers ensured each box contained donations to include non-perishable food items, clothing, medical supplies, fishing gear, hand tools, toys and much more.

In all, more than 186 boxes were built, making 2008 one of the largest in its 55 year history.

Through military and local community support, the OCD organization has collected tens of thousands of donated items and raised more than $30,000 through donations and fundraising efforts since they began the 2008 campaign in August.

"Sponsors have contributed more than $30,500, including an $8,500 donation by Andersen's chapel and $5,000 from the Andersen Officers Spouses Club," said Capt. Adam Rector, the vice president of the organization.

The Push Ceremony, where representatives from the local community and members from Andersen AFB load boxes onto the C-130 aircraft, is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 12. The air drops are scheduled to begin Sunday, Dec. 14 and run through Friday, Dec. 19.

OCD is a non-profit organization powered by volunteers from Andersen Air Force Base and local Guam community. Each year, the two join forces to aid the people of smaller islands that do not have airstrips or major ports.

For more information about Operation Christmas Drop visit www.christmasdrop.com

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