US Air Force C-130H loadmasters from the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota AB, Japan, prepare humanitarian aid bundles destined for airdrop to remote islands in Micronesia on 11 December 2012 at Andersen AFB, Guam, prior to the first sortie of Operation Christmas Drop 2012. Operation Christmas Drop is a non-profit organization run by volunteers from Andersen and the Guam community. Each year this group provides aid to more than 30,000 islanders in Chuuk, Palau, Yap, the Marshall Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. This year marks the 61st anniversary of Operation Christmas Drop, making it the longest running humanitarian mission in the world. A total of fifty-four islands are scheduled to receive humanitarian aid via parachute.
