U.S. Airmen with the 36th Airlift Squadron prepare a C-130 Hercules aircraft for takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, before an Operation Christmas Drop mission Dec. 11, 2013. Operation Christmas Drop has been an Air Force tradition since 1952, delivering presents, food and clothing to about 30,000 people on more than 50 islands scattered across Micronesia each year.