一捆装载着人道主义物资和礼物的空投包在密克罗尼西亚某岛上空缓缓下降。这是一年一度的“圣诞空投行动”中由美国空军C-130飞机送来的物资中的一部分。

关岛安德森空军基地（Andersen Air Force Base, Guam ）――在12月11日至18日的“圣诞空投行动”（Operation Christmas Drop）期间，来自安德森空军基地（Andersen Air Force Base）、日本横田空军基地（Yokota Air Base in Japan）、关岛大学（University of Guam）、本地社区和慈善机构的男女人士汇聚一起，向太平洋岛屿居民空投了39,000多磅的人道主义物资。

54个岛屿在这次C-130运输机执行的空投行动中受益，其中包括楚克岛（Chuuk）、帕劳（Palau）、雅浦岛（Yap）以及马绍尔群岛共和国（Republic of the Marshall Islands）和北马里亚纳群岛联邦（Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands）的大小岛屿，空投物资有玩具、衣物、捕鱼设备、体育用品、食品、工具以及其他便利生活的物品。

军士长卡梅伦•莱斯利（Cameron Leslie）说：“这使我们有机会为他们提供他们得不到的迫切需要的设备。在某种意义上，这些是圣诞礼物，但也有助于他们的生计。”

在C-130“大力神”运输机升空执行“圣诞空投行动”之前，空军人员和志愿者早就一起完成了好几道包装工序，将要空投的每一箱物资准备就绪。

机长、“圣诞空投行动”委员会主席米切尔•福伊（Mitchell Foy）表示：“人们乐于拿出时间作奉献的精神真是惊人。看着大家走到一起，为做好这次人道主义工作而忙碌，真是其乐无穷啊。”

福伊说：“这大概是我有生以来最令我引以为荣的一次经历。”

已有61个年头的“圣诞空投行动”是在美国国防部运行时间最久的人道主义行动。

大卫•古尔德（David Gould）上校说：“当我们大家报名参军的时候，目的就是提供服务——不仅为本国服务，也为全世界服务……”“在地球上，没有别的行动比圣诞空投行动更能体现奉献精神。”

2011年，莱斯利在法拉洛普岛（Falalop Island）旅行13天，了解岛民心中的看法。

莱斯利说：“他们非常感激圣诞空投，并珍视我们的关系。对他们来说，我们花时间为他们置办这些东西真令他们不可思议。”

自1952年12月以来，空军人员和志愿者一直都在向周围的岛屿播撒节日的快乐。当年只有一个机组把物资装进一个小罐子，通过一个降落伞空投。如今为数众多的志愿者都有机会从C-130运输机的尾部将数以吨计的礼物推出机舱，向人们传播节日的快乐并在舷梯下相互交谈。

A bundle carrying humanitarian supplies and gifts drifts down to an island in Micronesia. The delivery via a U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft came as part of the annual Operation Christmas Drop.

Andersen Air Force Base, Guam — Men and women from Andersen Air Force Base, Yokota Air Base in Japan, the University of Guam, the local community and charitable organizations came together to airdrop more than 39,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies to Pacific islanders during Operation Christmas Drop from December 11 to 18.

Fifty-four islands, which included Chuuk, Palau, Yap and islands in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, benefited from the C-130 airdrops that consisted of toys, clothing, fishing equipment, sporting goods, food items, tools and other items to make their day-to-day life easier.

“This gives us a chance to give them much-needed equipment that they don’t have access to,” said Master Sergeant Cameron Leslie. “In a sense, these items are Christmas presents, but also helps their livelihood.”

Long before the C-130 Hercules soar into the sky to execute Operation Christmas Drop, airmen and volunteers come together for several packing sessions to prepare each box to be dropped.

“The time and dedication that people are willing to give is astounding,” said Captain Mitchell Foy, president of the Christmas Drop committee. “It’s amazing watching everyone come together to make this humanitarian effort happen.”

“It’s probably the most humbling experience of my life,” Foy said.

Operating in its 61st year, Christmas Drop remains the longest-running humanitarian effort in the U.S. Department of Defense.

“When we all signed up to join the military, it was about service, not only service to our country, but service to the world,” said Colonel David Gould. “There are few operations on this planet that demonstrates as much commitment to service as Operation Christmas Drop.”

In 2011, Leslie took a 13-day trip to Falalop Island to get a perspective from the islanders’ point of view.

“They’re very much appreciative of Christmas Drop, and they value our relationship,” Leslie said. “For them, the idea that we take time out of all the things we do to put something together for them is amazing.”

Since December 1952, airmen and volunteers have been spreading the holiday cheer to surrounding islands. What was then a crew packing what they could in a small canister and dropping it down on a parachute has turned into numerous volunteers having the opportunity to spread the holiday spirit by pushing tons of presents from the back of a C-130 and sharing their own tales from the tail.