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Naval Hospital Bremerton, Washington. (December 12, 2023): To many Americans, Father Christmas and Santa Clause are one and the same. History, however, tells a different story. In this photo by Douglas Stutz, Father Christmas is surrounded by hospital staff as they gather for a tree lighting ceremony to commemorate the trilogy of light, faith, and hope that embodies the holiday season. What many do not know is that Father Christmas and Santa Claus are entirely separate people with distinct histories.
The legend of Father Christmas goes back centuries and was first introduced to England after the Norman invasion in 1066. Originally a pagan figure celebrated by adults, Father Christmas became centered on the welfare of children during the Victorian Era. Legend has it that a local merchant, to gain the attention of a fair maiden, began dropping gold coins down her chimney thus beginning the legend of Father Christmas delivering presents that way. The trimming of trees and decorating houses with holly can also be traced to this era as can the practice of placing a star or angel atop the Christmas tree.
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Naples, Italy (December 15, 2023): The American Forces Network has something special for America’s armed forces and their families serving overseas this season. In this photo by MC1 Donavan K. Patubo, MC3 Joe Cardona broadcasts a monthly talk show as part of AFN’s worldwide communication network that serves over 350,000 servicemembers. Through its satellite service, Direct-to-Sailor, AFN will broadcast special holiday programming to Navy ships at sea around the world.
This year, AFN has created a diverse mix of entertainment for television, radio, and streaming services and will include such holiday classics as "It's a Wonderful Life”, “A Christmas Story," and" Home Alone." In a tradition that began in 1942, the AFN network will broadcast holiday music to local and regional audiences via its 24 military broadcast stations around the globe.
The AFN wants to ring in the holiday by providing good cheer and heartwarming entertainment for America’s servicemembers serving far from home this holiday season.
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Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. (December 6, 2023): The true magic of the season can be seen in the eyes of a child when they first meet Santa and Mrs. Clause in the flesh. In this photo by Corporal Gideon Schippers, a little boy, capably restrained by his sister, greets Santa for the first time at the Marine Corps Community Services center. Community Services hosts this annual event for families of active-duty troops to kick off the holiday season.
The Yuma Station is a large family with over 5,000 military personnel, 3,500 family members, 2,200 civilians, and a large veteran population. Yuma is the home to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 which is responsible for the training of all the Corp’s tactical aviation units. The Station conducts a Weapons and Tactics Instructor course for pilots flying the F-35B Lightning II fighters.
The Marine Corps goes out of its way to make the holidays special for its unique patriotic community.
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Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. (December 6, 2023): Sailors and Marines always enjoy a friendly competition, this time involving cake decorating. In this photo by MC1 Justin Kemble, Interior Communications Electrician 2nd Class Paola Diaz, left, and Retail Specialist Seaman Nadya Lowder, right, decorate a gingerbread house on the mess deck aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp. The thousand plus crew and the roughly 2,200 embarking troops of the Wasp are in Norfolk for Amphibious Squadron/Marine Expeditionary Unit Integration training. The program teaches Sailors and Marines, many of whom have never deployed aboard ships, how to load and offload personnel and equipment while adjusting to life at sea.
Embarking onto multiple ships and deploying these assets from ship to shore is an extremely complicated task involving intense planning and coordination. The Wasp is specifically designed to accommodate the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) for fast troop movement over the beach. She also carries the stealthy Harrier II Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing jets for close air support for the assault force. She can also accommodate the full range of Navy and Marine Corps helicopters, the tiltrotor MV-22 Osprey, the F-35B Lightning II multi-role fighter, conventional landing craft, and amphibious vehicles.
The talented crew of the Wasp have many responsibilities, but it is nice sometimes to take a gingerbread break, especially during the holidays.
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Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan. (December 10, 2023): When serving thousands of miles from home at this sprawling Navy base, families look forward to Christmas in the Park, a 75-year tradition bringing Sailors and their families together with the local Sasebo community. In this photo by MC2 Quinton A. Lee, Japanese and American families gather at CFAS Nimitz Park to enjoy a night of music, refreshments, and camaraderie. The base is home to 6,000 active-duty personnel, their dependents, and civilian contractors.
One of the most difficult challenges facing military families is how to adjust to different cultures, languages, customs, and surroundings. On the other hand, the chance to meet new people and travel to exotic places is one of the greatest benefits of serving. There are currently over 80,000 American personnel stationed at various bases around Japan which presents a significant chance to share cultures and develop ties that last a lifetime. The Sailors and their families at Sasebo will bring home fond memories of celebrating Christmas with their Japanese hosts.
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America Sends Holiday Cheer From The Skies
Koror Island, Republic of Palau. (December 11, 2023): For the people of this tiny island, giant warplanes overhead mean only one thing, a shower of American generosity falling from the skies. In this photo by Yasuo Osakabe, U.S. Air Force Captain Miranda Bapty flies over Palau during Operation Christmas Drop, the Department of Defense’s longest running humanitarian and disaster relief mission. Every year, the 36th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron flies its C-130J Super Hercules aircraft over Palau to deliver bundles containing donated non-perishable food, fishing supplies, schoolbooks, and toys for the islands' children.
Operation Christmas Drop began in 1952 after U.S. B-29 Superfortress crews saw islanders waving at them from the island of Kapingamarangi, 3,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. In the spirit of Christmas, the aircrew dropped a bundle of supplies attached to a parachute to the islanders below, giving the operation its name. Today, air drop operations include more than 50 islands throughout the Pacific spanning distances nearly as wide as the United States.
A week before the drop, volunteer Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and civilians assist in sorting the donations while parachute riggers built dozens of boxes to hold the materials securely for the air drops. During the actual flights, air crews were linked to the villages via ham radio as they flew overhead to drop their bundles at specified drop zones. These humanitarian operations have the added benefit of giving air crew invaluable real-world training and experience in conducting airdrops. This year, these crews provided critical supplies to 56 Micronesian islands impacting about 20,000 people.
Flying forces from the U.S. Air Force, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, the Republic of Korea Air Force, and the Royal Canadian Air Force, and ground operations forces from the Philippine Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force worked together to conduct these low altitude air drops. The 374th Airlift Wing from Yokota Air Base, Japan led the operation with assistance from the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
For the pilots and crews performing these humanitarian missions, this is just another way to deliver presents at Christmas.