Photo By Sharilyn Wells | Operation Toy Drop brought in over 5,000 toys for children in need around the Fort...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. — This December, Santa Claus will deliver an extra 7,000 toys and games to underprivileged children in North and South Carolina.
Most of them won’t know that Santa had a hand from thousands of Fort Bragg’s paratroopers. Even more of them will have no idea that some of these soldiers, like Sgt. Donald Golec, were standing outside at 4:30 a.m. in freezing temperatures to donate these gifts.
For Golec, a member of the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade, an early Friday morning and a thoughtful gift were small prices to pay for the opportunity to give back to the communities that have supported Fort Bragg’s Soldiers for decades. To top it off, the thought of a sleek new set of foreign airborne wings provided an extra boost of motivation while enduring the cold.
The 13th annual Randy Oler Memorial Operation Toy Drop rolled community service, airborne operations and international cooperation all into one giant event. All toys collected will be dispersed among over 26 children’s homes and social service agencies in the coming weeks. Military Families in need, and the pediatrics wing of Fort Bragg’s Womack Army Medical Center also receive their share of Operation Toy Drop gifts.
“We’ve had a great turn out this year,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Dale Blosser, whose U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) has planned and hosted the event since 1998. Blosser is the senior noncommissioned officer for the command, which oversees over 50 Army Reserve units across the country, including a 400-man headquarters element at Fort Bragg.
“It’s all about giving back to the community that really gives so much to us here at Fort Bragg,” he said.
The operation gives the military community the opportunity to help families in need over the holiday season, and offers soldiers a holiday treat of their own. Paratroopers who donate an unwrapped toy are entered for the opportunity to participate in an airborne operations supervised by a foreign jumpmaster from one of nine countries: Toy Drop veteran participants Canada, Chile, Germany, Ireland and Poland, and newcomers Botswana, Estonia, Latvia and Thailand.
Pope Air Force Base’s Green Ramp loading area turned into the world’s least likely toy store, Dec. 10, as soldiers lined up for the donation and jump slot raffle with toys in one hand and their helmets in the other. The general rule of thumb among paratroopers is donate a gift worth receiving; something they’d be happy to see their own children unwrap during the holidays.
“Honestly, when I showed up and saw all (of the U.S. soldiers) lined up outside just for a chance to jump, not even a guarantee, I was floored,” said Capt. Jake Irsag, a Canadian liaison officer participating in the event. “It’s impressive the interest, and not just the interest, but what they’re doing for the community as well.”
Operation Toy Drop modest inception in 1998 brought in 550 toys for children in need. Its founder, then-Staff Sgt. Randy Oler, had dreamed of an event that combined airborne operations, foreign military jumpmasters and local charities. When Oler passed away in 2004, Operation Toy Drop inherited his name and his spirit.
His daughter, Kelsey Dolan, had heard of Operation Toy Drop but had never witnessed it herself until this year. Now an Army wife herself with her husband participating in the airborne operation, Dolan made the trip down from Bedford, Va., to see the event in action.
“My brothers and I never imagined it would be this big,” Dolan said. “So the fact that they are carrying (Operation Toy Drop) on would make Dad very happy. I just never knew so many people had known Dad and knew what he was capable of — it’s just very touching.”
Oler, who served in USACAPOC(A) as a civil affairs specialist, has had a lasting influence on the command’s present-day Soldiers and senior leaders.
“I’m glad that (Sgt. 1st Class) Randy Oler put this together and worked so hard at it,” Blosser said. “It’s great to see that it took off the way it did.”
Operation Toy Drop has sure taken off over the last several years. As of the 2009 event, a total of 45,000 toys had been raised over 12 years of donations. Thus far in 2010, that number has passed 50,000, and continues to rise, as toys will continue to come in over the next week from special-operations units and community donation boxes located around Fayetteville.
Operation Toy Drop is now the world’s largest combined airborne operation. During a week of airborne operations, 4,000 paratroopers will jump out of one of 24 Air Force C-130s or C-17s coming from Pope Air Force Base, N.C., Charleston, S.C., and Keesler, Miss.
“This all started with one NCO who decided he wanted to make a difference,” said Staff Sgt. Christina Hipenbecker, “and now thousands of children will have a happy Christmas.” Hipenbecker filled Oler’s shoes this year as the event’s primary jumpmaster, taking responsibility for all drop zone operations, Dec. 11, Operation Toy Drop’s main jump day.
That day’s rain, sleet and freezing temperatures didn’t scare away Hipenbecker or her U.S. and foreign nation jumpmasters from running airborne operations all morning on Sicily Drop Zone.
“The kids are the future, these kids are going to impress me, my sergeant major, the general – so it’s a great to do anything that benefits our future generation,” said Sgt. Rodenay Joseph Sr., 1st Brigade Combat Team, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, who earned wings from Thailand. “It will bring a smile to the kids who probably don’t have anything. I can do that every day, no matter how cold it gets. This is great.”
“We’re having a great airborne day today, and paratroopers just love jumping,” said Maj. Gen. David N. Blackledge, the USACAPOC(A) commanding general, that morning as paratroopers floated through the sky in the background. “This is a great opportunity for us to give back to the communities that have supported us so well through all the deployments the last 10 years.”
In the coming weeks, USACAPOC(A) Soldiers will deliver loads of toys to children’s homes and service agencies throughout North and South Carolina.
| Date Taken: | 12.14.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.14.2010 11:35 |
| Story ID: | 61958 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, With time, patience, paratroopers win the chance to earn foreign jump wings, by Sharilyn Wells, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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