Airmen at Andersen AFB, Guam, and from the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota AB, Japan, planned to make the first drop for the annual Operation Christmas Drop over the Micronesian Islands on Dec. 14. This event marks the 55th year the USAF airmen have collected donations and made the airdrops, providing training for the 374th’s C-130s, over the island chain. And, this year the team planned 74 drops over 71 islands, the largest in the operation’s history.
The Air Force overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.