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Alaska Guard delivers gifts to remote villages for 66th year
US Army | Dec. 23, 2021
By Spc. Grace Nechanicky, Alaska National Guard
Members of the 176th Air Defense Squadron load onto an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft on Dec. 2, 2021, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, to help transport gifts to Bethel and Nome for further delivery to the villages of Chevak and Buckland, respectively, for Operation Santa Claus 2021. Op Santa is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Dana Rosso)Sgt. Randell Andrew, an armory attendant in Bethel assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, and Tech. Sgt. Michael Cashman, a loadmaster assigned to 211th Rescue Squadron, unload pallets of gifts from an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft on Dec. 2, 2021, at Bethel, Alaska, before they are loaded onto a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter for further delivery to Chevak as part of Operation Santa Claus 2021. Op Santa is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Dana Rosso)Alaska Army National Guard Sgt. Randell Andrew, an armory attendant in Bethel assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, forklifts pallets of gifts from an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft on Dec. 2, 2021, at Bethel, Alaska, before they are loaded onto a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter for further delivery to Chevak as part of Operation Santa Claus 2021. Op Santa is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Dana Rosso)Members for the 176th Wing, Alaska Air National Guard unload pallets of gifts from an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft on Dec. 2, 2021, at Nome, Alaska, before they are loaded onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter for further delivery to Buckland as part of Operation Santa Claus 2021. Op Santa is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Dana Rosso/Released). (Photo Credit: Dana Rosso)Capt. Trevor Bunkers, left, and Maj. Brandon Burns, right, both pilots assigned to 211th Rescue Squadron fly an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft en route to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska from Nome, Dec. 2, 2021. Arctic Guardians of 176th Wing helped transport gifts to Bethel and Nome for further delivery to the villages of Chevak and Buckland, respectively, for Operation Santa Claus 2021. Op Santa is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Dana Rosso)Gifts are unloaded from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Buckland, Alaska during Operation Santa Claus, Dec. 14, 2021. Operation Santa Claus is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides Christmas gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Maj. Chelsea Aspelund)Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ross Wise and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Seth Dibble, Alaska Army National Guard, B Company, 2-211 General Support Aviation Battalion, help load pallets of gifts Dec. 13, 2021, at Nome onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in preparation for delivery to Buckland as part of Operation Santa Claus 2021. Op Santa is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides Christmas gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Maj. Chelsea Aspelund)Residents team up with Alaska Army National Guard soldiers to unload two hundred sixty-one gift packages from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Buckland, Alaska during Operation Santa Claus, Dec. 14, 2021. Operation Santa Claus is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides Christmas gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Maj. Chelsea Aspelund)Staff Sgt. Lucas Bartel, flight engineer, Alaska Army National Guard, B Company, 2-211 General Suppor Aviation Battalion performs pre-flight cargo inspections onboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, Dec. 14, 2021, in preparation to fly pallets of Christmas gifts to the children of Buckland as part of Operation Santa Claus 2021. The gifts were delivered to Nome on an Alaska Air National Guard HC-130J Combat King II, transferred to the helicopter and flow the rest of the way. Op Santa is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides Christmas gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Maj. Chelsea Aspelund)Two hundred sixty-one gift packages are unloaded from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Buckland, Alaska during Operation Santa Claus, Dec. 14, 2021. Operation Santa Claus is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides Christmas gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Maj. Chelsea Aspelund)Residents team up with Alaska Army National Guard soldiers to unload two hundred sixty-one gift packages from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Buckland, Alaska during Operation Santa Claus, Dec. 14, 2021. Operation Santa Claus is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides Christmas gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Maj. Chelsea Aspelund)Sgt. Craig Lyons, crew chief, Alaska Army National Guard, B Company, 2-211 General Suppor Aviation Battalion, helps unload two hundred sixty-one gift packages from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Buckland, Alaska during Operation Santa Claus, Dec. 14, 2021. Operation Santa Claus is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides Christmas gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Maj. Chelsea Aspelund)Alaska Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter is towed into a hangar at Nome on Dec. 14, 2021, after successful gift delivery to Buckland as part of Operation Santa Claus 2021. Op Santa is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides Christmas gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 66th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Maj. Chelsea Aspelund)Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ross Wise, pilot, Alaska Army National Guard, B Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, flies a CH-47 Chinook helicopter loaded with pallets of Christmas gifts to the children of Buckland as part of Operation Santa Claus 2021. The gifts were delivered to Nome on an HC-130J Combat King II, transferred to the helicopter and flow the rest of the way to be offloaded by Alaska Army National Guard aircrew. Op Santa is an Alaska National Guard annual community outreach program that provides Christmas gifts, books, school supplies and stocking stuffers to children in rural Alaskan communities. This year marks the 65th year of the program, which began in 1956 after the village of St. Mary's experienced a year of hardship and the Alaska Air National Guard flew in gifts and supplies donated by the local community. The Alaska National Guard was able to continue the tradition this year and safely provide gifts despite COVID-19. (Photo Credit: Maj. Chelsea Aspelund)
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – The Alaska National Guard conducted Operation Santa Claus again this year, delivering gifts to children in remote Alaskan villages.
Gifts were delivered to Buckland on Dec. 14, while a flight to Chevak was delayed several times due to inclement weather. Efforts to deliver Santa’s packages to the small community will resume shortly after the holidays.
The Alaska National Guard, in partnership with the Salvation Army, took the same necessary COVID-19 precautions to ensure safety as last year but remained committed to sharing in the holiday spirit with almost 650 children. Alaska National Guard Soldiers and Airmen helped pack, load, transfer and unload the cargo.
“Operation Santa has been going for 66 years,” said Air National Guard Maj. Chelsea Aspelund, the 176th Wing chief of public affairs. “It started in 1956 in St. Mary’s after the Alaska National Guard responded to a request for assistance following extreme flooding and drought that impacted subsistence fishing and hunting in the community.”
Despite the hardships and uncertainty of the pandemic during last year’s Op Santa season, the mission continued with a few mitigation procedures, such as limiting contact and minimizing the number of people involved.
“It’s important for Operation Santa to continue because this is an opportunity for the Alaska National Guard to reach into rural Alaska and really demonstrate our ability to be there to support the communities,” said Aspelund.
The remote villages chosen to participate in Op Santa are selected based on several factors, including hardships the community has faced.
“It’s kind of hard for [the villages] to enjoy a Christmas like it used to be with all that’s going on,” said Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Sallaffie, facility attendant at Bethel’s National Guard armory. “It makes a difference.”
This year’s holiday delivery included 4,420 pounds of backpacks, books, school supplies, snacks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and gifts categorized by age.
Pallets of boxes were loaded onto an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, transported Dec. 2 to Bethel and Nome and staged for further delivery by helicopters to the two remote villages. The fixed-wing aircraft is used first because of its capability to carry more cargo faster.
Gifts arrived in Buckland after they were transported 139 miles northeast from Nome on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter on Dec. 14. A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter will fly the gifts 118 miles northwest of Bethel to the village of Chevak once weather permits.
The Alaska National Guard and Salvation Army are committed to Operation Santa Claus “to help maintain and build trust and partnership with others throughout the state,” Aspelund said.
“It means a whole lot [to the children],” said Sallaffie. “Bringing presents out to the villages in these tough times, it’s pretty awesome.”
