Exchange Associates Take Flight As Part of Operation Christmas Drop

Andersen AFB Exchange Main Store Manager Hector Davila, left, and Guam/Saipan Exchange General Manager Patricia Murauskas were invited to ride aboard a massive C-130J aircraft during 2020’s Operation Christmas Drop mission, the Department of Defense’s longest-running humanitarian airlift training operation.

A pair of Exchange associates took to the skies Dec. 7 as part of an annual Department of Defense tradition in the Pacific.

Guam/Saipan Exchange General Manager Patricia Murauskas and Andersen AFB Exchange Main Store Manager Hector Davila were invited to ride aboard a massive C-130 J aircraft during 2020’s Operation Christmas Drop mission.

The two boarded the plane in Guam and flew for 11 hours as bundles with donated supplies were dropped for residents of remote Pacific islands. Exchange shoppers purchased many of the bundled goods.

“It was a great flight, filled with exciting twists and turns courtesy of the highly skilled pilots—`Top Gun’ had nothing on these guys,” Murauskas said.

Supply bundles were dropped on three islands within the country of Palau, in the Western Pacific, where the crew landed the aircraft to refuel before returning to Guam.

The once-in-a-lifetime ride was a way to thank Murauskas and Davila for helping to make this year’s mission a success despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was truly an honor to participate in Operation Christmas Drop, which exemplifies the Exchange’s `We Go Where You Go’ mission,” Murauskas said.

For 69 years, Operation Christmas Drop has served as the Department of Defense’s longest-running humanitarian airlift training operation while allowing multinational U.S. Pacific Air Forces to perform low-cost, low-altitude air drops. Since 1952, more than 1 million pounds of supplies have been dropped throughout the region. The effort is the inspiration for the new movie “Operation Christmas Drop,” streaming on Netflix.

“The invitation to participate in this storied mission speaks to the sense of community and partnership Patricia, Hector and the Andersen Exchange have fostered,” said Col. Scott Maskery, Exchange Pacific Region commander. “It is such a privilege to serve, especially during this challenging year. Operation Christmas Drop represents hope for so many and support from so many. I am proud our entire Exchange team directly supported and contributed to this year’s mission.”

The Exchange has long been an Operation Christmas Drop partner, posting and distributing wish lists of items that Andersen AFB Exchange shoppers select, purchase and donate in-store.

That format changed this year because of the pandemic. Instead, U.S. Pacific Air Forces teamed with the Exchange to curate bags filled with critical supplies ranging from first-aid kits and toothpaste to tarps and tools.

Meanwhile, Murauskas and Davila launched an in-store marketing campaign encouraging shoppers to purchase and donate the bags, priced at $5, $10 and $20.

“It was a concerted effort to ensure that Operation Christmas Drop was a success this year,” Murauskas said, “and another example of Exchange associates’ dedication to our core value of family serving family.”

Andersen AFB Exchange Main Store Manager Hector Davila, right, rides aboard a C-130J during the Operation Christmas Drop mission on Dec. 7, 2020.

Brig. Gen. Jeremy Sloane, 36th Wing commander, and Col. Kevin Martin, 374th Operations Group commander, make the ceremonial “push” of the first pallet to kick-off Operation Christmas Drop at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Dec. 7, 2020. Operation Christmas Drop is an annual U.S. Air Force tradition of packing and delivering food, tools and clothing to remote islands in the South-Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Divine Cox)

Bundles housed in the 734th Air Mobility Squadron warehouse await to be loaded onto a C-130J Hercules during the Operation Christmas Drop “Push” Ceremony at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Dec. 7, 2020. Out of an abundance of caution and in coordination with public health officials, donated items were stored in a controlled COVID free environment for more than 24 hours prior to being packed in bundles to limit the risk of COVID-19 transmission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Divine Cox)