211213-Z-IG207-10024

Chief Warrent 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. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Chelsea Aspelund/Released).