Soldiers Earn Wings in Operation Toy Drop
Dec 8, 2012 23:36:32 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Dec 8, 2012 23:36:32 GMT -5
Soldiers jump at chance to earn foreign wings during Operation Toy Drop
JaJuan Broadnax/U.S. Army
By April Dudash
The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer/MCT
Published: December 8, 2012
Fort Bragg Pvt. Jarrett Bielata lined up before the break of dawn Friday with a NERF gun in hand.
He and about 3,000 other soldiers donated toys for a chance to parachute jump Saturday with foreign jumpmasters, and he thought being one of the first to arrive at Green Ramp increased his chances.
The annual charity tradition is called the Randy Oler Memorial Operation Toy Drop, now in its 15th year and organized by U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne).
Soldiers donate a toy, enter a lottery and hope their number is picked. If so, they get to jump the next day at Bragg's Sicily Drop Zone.
Only 400 leave the lottery with the opportunity to static-line jump for foreign jump wings.
"This is definitely one of the coolest things I've seen," said Bielata, who's with the 18th Airborne Corps and has been in the Army since February.
"Everyone from different countries getting together, just seeing how everyone gets along," he said.
The idea of the Toy Drop was created in 1998 by Staff Sgt. Randy Oler, who suffered a fatal heart attack in 2004 while performing jumpmaster duties aboard a C-130.
During Oler's first Toy Drop, 550 gifts were collected. In 2011, more than 20,000 toys went to children in need, and Operation Toy Drop volunteers anticipate passing the 25,000 mark this year.
The toys will be distributed to social service agencies, children's homes and hospitals across the country.
Sgt. 1st Class Kim Jacobs, an event volunteer, helped fill big orange bags with toys, from Tonka trucks to princess dresses.
"The guys that bring the dress-up clothes because their wife bought them or they have a little girl, they don't care," Jacobs said. "It's great knowing some kids are going to get something for Christmas."
Soldiers were reprimanded if their toys were thrown in the "shame" pile. This year's additions included a bag of marbles and a used basketball.
But most were extremely generous, even donating full-sized bikes and Xbox 360s.
"When I grew up, I was kind of like the guy in the situation getting these gifts," said Sgt. Jeffrey Brophy with the 82nd Airborne Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion.
He added another NERF gun to the pile.
"I knew it'd be a good toy because it'd be something I'd want," Brophy said.
Foreign wings
But the main prize of Toy Drop is a sleek set of foreign jump wings.
They are pursued by airborne soldiers who want to wear the yellow and red stitches of Thailand, the Polish soaring eagle or Canada's red maple leaf.
Spc. Jon Cintron with the 82nd Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion was picked third in the lottery. He said he was going after "one of the high speed-looking ones."
Jumpmasters from seven countries are participating this year: the Netherlands, Uruguay, Canada, Germany, Chile, Italy and Brazil.
Capt. Martin Holle was visiting for the first time with his team of German jumpmasters. Germany has participated in Toy Drop since it started.
The Germans contributed dump trucks and Matchbox cars to the collection.
"We all chose the things we played with when we were children," Holle said.
Distributed by MCT Information Services
www.stripes.com/soldiers-jump-at-chance-to-earn-foreign-wings-during-operation-toy-drop-1.199874
JaJuan Broadnax/U.S. Army
By April Dudash
The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer/MCT
Published: December 8, 2012
Fort Bragg Pvt. Jarrett Bielata lined up before the break of dawn Friday with a NERF gun in hand.
He and about 3,000 other soldiers donated toys for a chance to parachute jump Saturday with foreign jumpmasters, and he thought being one of the first to arrive at Green Ramp increased his chances.
The annual charity tradition is called the Randy Oler Memorial Operation Toy Drop, now in its 15th year and organized by U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne).
Soldiers donate a toy, enter a lottery and hope their number is picked. If so, they get to jump the next day at Bragg's Sicily Drop Zone.
Only 400 leave the lottery with the opportunity to static-line jump for foreign jump wings.
"This is definitely one of the coolest things I've seen," said Bielata, who's with the 18th Airborne Corps and has been in the Army since February.
"Everyone from different countries getting together, just seeing how everyone gets along," he said.
The idea of the Toy Drop was created in 1998 by Staff Sgt. Randy Oler, who suffered a fatal heart attack in 2004 while performing jumpmaster duties aboard a C-130.
During Oler's first Toy Drop, 550 gifts were collected. In 2011, more than 20,000 toys went to children in need, and Operation Toy Drop volunteers anticipate passing the 25,000 mark this year.
The toys will be distributed to social service agencies, children's homes and hospitals across the country.
Sgt. 1st Class Kim Jacobs, an event volunteer, helped fill big orange bags with toys, from Tonka trucks to princess dresses.
"The guys that bring the dress-up clothes because their wife bought them or they have a little girl, they don't care," Jacobs said. "It's great knowing some kids are going to get something for Christmas."
Soldiers were reprimanded if their toys were thrown in the "shame" pile. This year's additions included a bag of marbles and a used basketball.
But most were extremely generous, even donating full-sized bikes and Xbox 360s.
"When I grew up, I was kind of like the guy in the situation getting these gifts," said Sgt. Jeffrey Brophy with the 82nd Airborne Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion.
He added another NERF gun to the pile.
"I knew it'd be a good toy because it'd be something I'd want," Brophy said.
Foreign wings
But the main prize of Toy Drop is a sleek set of foreign jump wings.
They are pursued by airborne soldiers who want to wear the yellow and red stitches of Thailand, the Polish soaring eagle or Canada's red maple leaf.
Spc. Jon Cintron with the 82nd Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion was picked third in the lottery. He said he was going after "one of the high speed-looking ones."
Jumpmasters from seven countries are participating this year: the Netherlands, Uruguay, Canada, Germany, Chile, Italy and Brazil.
Capt. Martin Holle was visiting for the first time with his team of German jumpmasters. Germany has participated in Toy Drop since it started.
The Germans contributed dump trucks and Matchbox cars to the collection.
"We all chose the things we played with when we were children," Holle said.
Distributed by MCT Information Services
www.stripes.com/soldiers-jump-at-chance-to-earn-foreign-wings-during-operation-toy-drop-1.199874