12-17-2010 The Patriot (Joint Base Charleston)

Page 1

Joint Base Charleston

Patriot Vol. 1, No. 11

INSIDE HOLIDAY PARTY

Redbank Club becomes winter wonderland See page 5

MAFEX Army and Air Force joint exercise See page 4

OPERATION TOY DROP

For more photos See page 14

SOCIAL WELLNESS Comprehensive Airmen fitness See page 9

Team Charleston – One Family, One Mission, One Fight!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Operation Toy Drop combines forces, training, cheer Airman 1st Class Ian Hoachlander Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs

More than 5,000 toys were donated by service members from North and South Carolina for Operation Toy Drop 2010, which began Dec. 10. The toys collected will be organized by age and gender and then delivered to deserving military and civilian children throughout the Carolinas. Despite inclement weather, U.S. and allied nation paratroopers did not shy away from donating toys during the 13th annual Randy Older Memorial Operation Toy Drop. Along with the 437th Airlift Wing, Pope Air Force Base's 440th Airlift Wing and the North Carolina and West Virginia Air National Guard provided crews and aircraft for the paratroopers to make their jump. "This was the first time everyone in (aircraft) Rudolph 1-2 participated in Operation Toy Drop," said Maj. Harold Cramer, 17th Airlift Squadron pilot. "It's absolutely wonderful that we can combine forces to train for every day operations as well as give something back to the community." Operation Toy Drop is the world's largest combined airborne operation. Jumpmasters from Botswana, Canada, Chile, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Poland and Thailand participated in the event. Operation Toy Drop is an airborne training event where Soldiers are encouraged to donate a toy for a chance to earn foreign airborne or "jump" wings. These wings

U.S. Army photo/Staff Sgt. Sharilyn Wells

More than 5,000 toys were donated by Soldiers, Airmen and civilians from the Carolinas for Operation Toy Drop Dec. 11, 2010. The toys collected will be distributed throughout the upcoming weeks to families and children in need.

are obtained when a U.S. military service member conducts multi-national airborne operations with a foreign-service jumpmaster. By training with other nations, American paratroopers have the opportunity to exchange allied airborne operations techniques and jumpmaster proficiencies. They also begin to devel-

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op a working relationship with a force they very well may team with one day to engage a common enemy. Operation Toy Drop started out as a small mission, with about 800 paratroopers jumping. As word spread through the years, Operation See Toy Drop, Page 14

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